Lecturers boycott Sadananda Gowda’s plea; won’t evaluate PU papers

Pre-university lecturers have decided to ignore chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda’s plea to reach an amicable settlement and will resume their boycott of evaluating papers from Friday.

Karnataka State PU College Lecturers’ Association and Coordination Committee president Thimmaiah Purle said on Thursday that the boycott, which was called off earlier this week, would resume.

Earlier on Thursday, minister for primary and secondary education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri announced that Gowda would hold talks with lecturers on April 19 and expressed confidence that lecturers would withdraw their boycott. Purle, however, said: “The CM has invited us for a discussion, but the boycott will go ahead. We have been fighting for issues plaguing PU lecturers for more than a year. We won’t be evaluating exam papers from tomorrow.”

He said lecturers view this development as a ‘last resort’. “Many lecturers face a do-or-die situation. There is disparity in the pay scale, but we want other issues addressed. Our demands have not been met. We know students and parents would be affected, but can we do at this point?” he said.