Government in bind over PU lecturers’ stir

Mangaloretoday/ DHNS

Bangalore, April 14, 2012: Options to break the strike are unworkable. The ongoing strike by pre-university college lecturers demanding pay hike has put the State government in a tight spot, leaving it with few options for ending the agitation and ensuring evaluation of exam answer scripts.

 

 

Lecturers boycott evaluation of second PUC answer papers at Sheshadripuram College in Bangalore on Friday to press their demands. --KPNPrimary and Secondary Education Minister Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri and department Secretary G Kumar Naik on Saturday warned that the government would be forced to take “tough” steps if the agitating lecturers try to obstruct their colleagues willing to resume evaluation.  

Sources in the state government said it can invoke the Karnataka State Civil Services (Prevention of Strike) Act and declare the strike illegal and even arrest the teachers.

But that is unlikely ahead of the upcoming Council elections to three teachers and an equal number of graduate constituencies scheduled in June this year. Of the six seats, the BJP holds five.

Opposition parties, the JD(S) and the Congress, are waiting in the wings for the government to err in handling the situation so that they can take political advantage of it.

Moreover, the government is of the view that the strike is orchestrated by opposition parties and hence, it believes that the issue should be solved very carefully without harming its own political prospects.

Espousing the cause of the teachers, Janata Dal (S) MLC Puttanna has said the government is “blackmailing” the lecturers by citing the interests of students.

“The JD(S) is supporting the strike. I am going to join the dharna staged by the teachers at Freedom Park from Monday. The agitation will continue till the demands are met. The chief minister could have held talks on Sunday instead of April 19,” he said.

He also alleged that the government has tried to demoralise the lecturers by suspending 19 of them in the PU question paper leak case. They were suspended even before the CID began investigation, he added.

Advantage

With the JD(S) trying to take advantage the situation, the ruling BJP is trying its best to convince the lecturers to call off their strike.

The government may announce an ex gratia of Rs 300, over and above the existing Rs 200, as recommended by the Official Pay Committee recently, to persuade them to resume the evaluation.

Sources said the government wanted to place the proposal before the recent cabinet meeting, but drew back at the last minute, sensing the possibility of primary and higher primary school teachers too striking work demanding a similar benefit.

Already warned

The SSLC teachers have already warned that they will boycott evaluation work if their salary is not hiked.

Sources said options such as getting PU evaluation work done by retired lecturers and lecturers of neighbouring States were not realistic as they might support the agitating teachers. Kumar Naik said he was confident that all the lecturers would resume the evaluation work by Monday.

Asked whether the government will take action against them, he said: “The department has no intention to take any action against the lecturers.

Not thinking

“We are not even thinking on those lines. A section of lecturers have already resumed the work and all of them will fall in line soon. But we will not hesitate to take penal action against those who try to stop others from resuming work,” Kumar Naik added.