EDUCATION

PCCTU to struggle for pension-gratuity scheme
Our Correspondent

Doraha, July 13
The Doraha unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) has welcomed the government decision of merging dearness allowance (DA) with the basic pay.

The unit members said the union had made concerted efforts over the years to get it done. They thanked the management and the Principal of Guru Nanak National College, Doraha, for the timely implementation of the government decision.

“With the merger of DA with the basic salary, we have been benefitted to a considerable extent. The credit goes to the management and the Principal who have always placed the interests of their employees on priority,” they said.

Dr Kuldeep Singh, area secretary, said the decision had restored pay parity among the teachers of aided colleges and the government college teachers. He said, “The decision is the result of persistent efforts of the union that maintained a constant pressure on the government and got the decision implemented.”

“Our next major demand is to get the pension and gratuity scheme implemented in the near future. For this, we have planned agitation in the coming months. In July, we will give a call on the issue of pay parity for DPTs and librarians. On August 7, the union members will go on strike after attending the first two periods and submit a memorandum to the DC,” he said.

“On August 18, the members will go on mass casual leave and launch an agitation that will start from Barnala and reach Moti Mahal at Patiala. All these actions will be crucial as our main demand will now be to get the pension and gratuity scheme implemented. The government will have to give us social and financial security after retirement,” he added.

He requested all teachers of private aided colleges to unite and collectively participate in every agitation to get their demands implemented. He thanked the unit members for their support in making every agitation a success.

Prof M.S. Bhandari, Prof P.S. Sekhon , Prof Mohinder Kaur, Prof Mohinder Kaur, Prof Gursharan Kaur, Prof Gursharanjit Singh, Prof Amarjit Kaur, Prof Ranjit Kaur, Dr Nirlep Kaur and Prof Williamjit Singh participated in the meeting.

COURTS

One acquitted of theft charge
Our Correspondent

Jagraon, July 13
Daljit Singh alias Fauji of Cheemna village has been acquitted of the charge of theft after facing trial for more than seven years by Mrs Jatinder Walia, Subdivisional Judicial Magistrate. A car (PB-29A-7061) belonging to Dr Ramesh Thapar of Moga, was taken away by two scooter-borne persons near Jagraon while he was on his way from Ludhiana to Moga in 1999.

The car was later found abandoned in Kokri village. It was impounded by Mehna police under Section 102 Cr PC. Since the doctor lodged a report at Jagraon, the car was handed over to the Jagraon police along with the registration certificate, insurance and driving licence. Later the local police arrested Daljit Singh on suspicion on March 15,1999 and recorded his statement under Section 27 of the Evidence Act. Fauji had concealed the registration certificate near a bridge. Fauji was also charged with theft of a cash box weighing about three quintals from a cooperative society, Roomi, and the local police showed the recovery from a heap of rice-straw from a field near Chajjawal.

While acquitting Fauji in both the cases, the court found that the registration certificate along with other documents were handed over with the vehicle by the Mehna police to Jagraon police. The president and treasurer of cooperative society denied the identification of the cash box produced in the court.