EDUCATION

Resentment brewing among DMC faculty
K.S. Chawla

Ludhiana, May 15
Resentment is brewing among the faculty members of the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital over the discriminatory attitude of the management and its failure to meet the demands of the faculty.

Enquiries made today show that immediate cause of resentment among the faculty members is the failure of the management to have uniform service rules and additional monetary benefits to certain officials of the institution.

The DMC Teachers Association, Dayanand Medical College, in a letter to the president of the managing society, DMC and Hospital has alleged: “It is disturbing that in a covert manner without the knowledge of the faculty, the administrator-medical and non-medical have started getting special allowance for the last four months in addition to the perks and privileges”.

The enquiries reveal that special allowance of Rs 30,000 per month has been granted to the Principal and another special allowance of Rs 20,000 per month has been given to the two Medical Superintendents, Vice-Principal and Dean of the DMC in addition to the pay and other perks which they are already enjoying.

Further, the faculty is sore that the management has not started deducting the GPF of the faculty members, as stipulated under the Government of India rules.

The faculty members are also unhappy that the management has failed to frame uniform service rules for teachers. They argue that since doctors are working for promotion of the institution, why is a pick-and-choose policy being adopted to grant special benefits to certain individuals.

The faculty members also allege that the management does not bother about the maintenance of the necessary equipment and they are advised to observe restraint and further asked to adopt economy measures.

The faculty has also not approved the setting up of the police station in the premises of the hospital.

The letter to the president of the managing society maintains: “The faculty is totally opposed to the construction of the police station in the hospital and the reasons for this have been already explained and sent to the Principal.”

The faculty launched a signature campaign and about 140 members put their signatures opposing the establishment of the police station in the hospital premises. The contention of the faculty is that when the management maintains that there is financial crunch, why spend Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh on the construction of the police station. Moreover, this would also upset the congenial atmosphere of the campus. The residents of Udham Singh Nagar and Tagore Nagar have also opposed the construction of a police station in the hospital.

The letter has appealed to the president of the managing society to personally intervene and cancel the decisions with regard to the police station and the special benefit to certain officials at the earliest so that the “faculty is not compelled to take a unilateral decision about the next course of action.”

The faculty is seriously thinking of convening a general body meeting within a next week and take a decision regarding the course of action.

Spot evaluation duty lucrative for teachers
Our Correspondent

Doraha, May 15
More and more teachers now wish to be relieved for performing spot-evaluation duty as it is more lucrative as compared to the job of supervision. The university, in order to ensure the timely declaration of results, conducts examinations and spot- evaluation side by side.

The exam coordinators are of the view that once the teachers receive letters of spot-evaluation, they show less interest in performing the duty of supervision. As it is the time for the conduct of examination as well, the coordinators are caught in a fix. Hence, they have demanded equal remuneration for conduct and evaluation from Panjab University.

A lecturer from a local college says: “We get Rs 77 for performing the duty of supervision while on the other hand, in the spot-evaluation in a single session we are paid Rs 140 in addition to T.A/ DA or local conveyance depending upon the distance. As there are generally three sessions a day, we can earn Rs 450 for the same . Hence it is but natural for us to prefer spot - evaluation. The colleges can easily engage ad hoc staff for the purpose if need arises.”

According to Principal Jaswant Singh Gill of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha the university should provide a balanced remuneration for the performance of both the duties so that teachers show equal interest in both.”

Prof Jaspal Singh, General Secretary, Punjab Government College Teachers Association, is of the view that in no case there should be more than two sessions for evaluation. “ If the university plans its examination datesheet accordingly, the work of evaluation can be accomplished well in time with regular two sessions . Along with this if the remuneration for supervision is raised from Rs 125, it would almost balance the amount,” he added.

Prof Harpreet Singh Dua, Fellow, Panjab university said, “Balanced remuneration shall lead to just and fair conduct of examinations.” He also demanded a further increase in remuneration rates. 

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