EDUCATION

Private college teachers’ dharna today
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, July 31 — The non-government college teachers’ month-long action plan of staging series of protest dharnas at different places in Punjab will begin on August 1.

According to Prof K.B.S. Sodhi, president, Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU), the dharnas have been planned to protest against the Punjab Government’s callous and indifferent attitude towards their genuine demands.

The teachers will stage the dharna on August 1 at Amritsar in front of the Deputy Commissiners’s office and on August 9 at Matka Chowk, Chandigarh. Dharnas in 162 non-government colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh will be held on college campuses outside the principals’ offices on different dates throughout Punjab on August 18, 25 and September 1.

According to Prof Chawla, general secretary, PCCTU, if the government failed to redress their grievances despite these peaceful protest dharnas, they will intensify the struggle.

The demands of the teachers include immediate implementation of pension gratuity scheme, up to date review of posts in colleges, solution to the problems of# librarians and DPEs, relaxation to senior teachers in the eligibility condition for the post of principals, and extending the retirement age to 62. 

School denies certificate
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, July 31 — Nav Bharat Public School is allegedly denying school leaving certificate to Nisha, who has passed class VIII from the school.

According to Mr Satish Kumar, the father of the student, as he could not afford the day-boarding school fees of Rs 400 a month, he decided to shift her from the school. He alleged that the school authorities were refusing to issue a certificate, unless he paid them Rs 1875, besides the fees up to July 2000, although she had left the school in April.

However, the principal of the school, Mr C M Handa, denied the claims of Mr Kumar. He said, the school was entitled to charge the fee. He claimed that Nisha had been given a fee waiver of Rs. 200 per month. According to Mr Handa, it is mandatory to pay fees to get a school leaving certificate.