Maharashtra college teachers to stage protest on April 18

Over 2,500 teachers from ten Universities and affiliated colleges across Maharashtra will stage a protest on April 18 at Azad Maidan here seeking state government's attention on several pending issues including service regularisation and pension parity.

Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers Union general secretary Prof Tapti Mukhopadhayay today said that most teachers are facing hardships and losing on financial benefits due to various reasons.

Their main demands include: regularisation and promotion of  those teachers who were appointed before the introduction of NET/SET, removal of discrimination in pension, implementation of Sixth Pay Commission for Engineering and Social Work College teachers, she said.

About retirement age, Mukhopadhyay said, although for teachers it has been fixed at 62 and for Principals at 65,  it is becoming impossible to reap the benefits as there are many conditions attached to it.

The teachers are also demanding that Social Work Colleges be brought under the same structure as other colleges and their salary payment which has been held back for last one year be given to them immediately.

"For this, we will be meeting Maharashtra minister for higher and technical education Rajesh Tope next week to put forth our demands," Mukhopadhayay added.