Sad that Teachers Have to Agitate for Their Dues in Bengal, Says Governor Jagdeep Dhankar

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has expressed his displeasure over teachers taking to the streets over several issues.

“It is a sad spectacle when you see these days that teachers have to agitate to get their due,” Dhankar said while addressing a gathering at the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute Asian Studies here.

“We all need to pay greater emphasis on education and must ensure that teachers are treated with respect and paid their due. Such a worrisome scenario has detrimental effect on education that is vital for nation building.

“Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, one of the stalwarts of the Indian independence movement. Born in Mecca and settled in Calcutta, he learnt several languages, philosophy and mathematics and began his career as a journalist at a very young age. He was a nationalist and was introduced to the revolutionary activities of Bengal by Rishi Aurobindo. He played an important role in creating Hindu-Muslim unity. He also played a key role in the founding of the University Grants Commission and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs),” the governor said.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed her displeasure over the governor’s interference in the state’s academic affairs.

Last week, Dhankar, who has been quite vocal against the ruling government in Bengal, wrote on Twitter, “@MamataOfficial. Making an earnest effort to read between the lines. All my actions as Governor and Chancellor are as scripted in the Constitution and Acts of Universities.”

On November 9, four days after Banerjee had announced revised UGC pay scale for teachers, Dhankhar, during a meeting with Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) members, expressed his concern over the state government’s decision to implement it from January 1, 2020 instead of January 1, 2016 with retrospective effect.

JUTA members have also expressed their dismay over the issue.

In a letter to the chief minister, JUTA said, “All central universities have implemented the new pay scales, with effect from January 1, 2016 and only four state universities, including Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab and West Bengal, had not done so up to the end of October 2019. We are happy that you announced at the meeting you held with college and university teachers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on November 5, 2019, about the new pay scales in West Bengal and would be grateful if they are implemented with effect from January 1, 2020 with notional fixation from January 1, 2016.”