Ludhiana, July 14
The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) at a meeting held here today decided to completely reject the notification issued by the Punjab Government on July 9 regarding the pension scheme and rules for the employees of the private-aided colleges.
The PCCTU urged the Governor not to accept the Punjab Government’s “totally unprincipled” and “unconstitutional” notification, especially when the Governor had issued the bill on March 27, 1999, (later passed by the Vidhan Sabha on March 30, 1999). According to a spokesperson of the PCCTU, the notified scheme was in total contravention of the earlier scheme, for which the executive order was issued on December 19, 1996, to colleges, and options were also taken from employees along with the resolutions of the managements thereof.
According to the spokesperson of the PCCTU, the July 9 scheme was considered by the teaching fraternity as a fraud committed by throwing all constitutional norms to winds. It neither had the budgetary support nor the control of the government for its smooth implementation. Instead of giving relief to the employees in this social sector, the government deceptively denied even the existing benefit like gratuity, as the scheme would have an overriding provision on all existing benefits given by way of statues in the university calendars.
It was mentioned by the spokesperson that the bill (No. 4-PLA of 1999) to introduce the amendment in the security of Service Act, 1974, clearly laid down in “Statement Objects and Reason” that the pension-gratuity scheme to be given with effect from April 1, 1992, would be “on the pattern of privately aided schools” and that failure would invite punitive action.
He further stated that the “Financial Memorandum” also further made it clear that “There is no likelihood of any financial liability on the state for a period up to March 31, 2005.” Clearly it had full support of the state government. This bill was passed unanimously on March 30, 1999. Moreover, the Act of the school scheme had already been notified with rules in 1992 and implemented from 1987 with all benefits at part with the government employees. The scheme had been operational since then, he added.
The proposal to give only pension out of a corpus fund to be created through the CPF share of employees and employers, with no support from the government, with no provision for gratuity and other benefits was highly condemnable and worth total rejection, the spokesperson of the PCCTU added.
