Imphal, Jun 20: Giving a new fillip to their long standing demands, teachers of seven Government aided colleges are set to launch a pen down strike from tomorrow.

Announcing this to the media, general secretary of the All Manipur Government Aided College Teachers' Association said that the Government aided colleges along with the approved teaching and non teaching staff include Thambal Marik College, Oinam (25 approved posts), Liberal College, Luwang-shangbam (18 approved posts), Biramangol College (44 approved posts), Mayai Lambi College, Yumnam Huidrom (24 approved posts) and Jiri College, Jiribam (14 approved posts).

The non-approved teaching and non-teaching posts of these seven colleges total 400.The general secretary, Dr M Somorendra said that the they would continue with their stir until and unless all their rightful demands are met.

On the course of action to be taken up, Dr Somorendra said that from tomorrow till June 27, the teachers will go on a pen down strike.

If the Government refuses to budge and does not concede to the demands of the teachers, then sit-in-protest will follow.

The teachers will also resort to mass casual leave, he added.

Recounting the genesis of the teachers' angst, the general secretary said that an agreement was signed between the Association and the Education Secretary on May 25, 1993.The agreement which contained eight points was endorsed by the Cabinet on August 30, 1999 and then on March 22, 2005, the Higher and Technical Education Commissioner had assured that the seven aided colleges including Jiri college would be converted to Government colleges.

Despite all these earlier assurances, nothing concrete has been done, he charged.

Stating that aided colleges teachers are putting in their best mite to promote quality education, Dr Somorendra said that an ultimatum was earlier served on the Government to deliver justice to the aided colleges teachers by June 15, but so far there has been no response from the Government.

The main demands of the teachers include implementation of the MoUs and agreements reached between and the Government, to release the arrear to the teaching and non-teaching staff of aided colleges of the 1999 pay revision, to provide pension facilities to the approved teaching and non-teaching staff and to give the UGC approved pay to the unapproved teaching and non-teaching staff.

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