Imphal, January 10 2009: Along with staging a sit-in-protest in front of the gate of TG Higher Secondary School here today, All Manipur Government Higher Secondary Lecturers' Welfare Association has declared it may be constrained to stay away from examination duty of the Board and Council if the Government does not finalise implementation of the 6th Central Pay Commission at the earliest possible.

Talking to mediapersons on the sideline of the protest demonstration, Association president T Pramodini informed that the Association plans to launch various intense agitations along with formation of a co-ordinating body of elementary and higher secondary school teachers if the Government fails to implement recommendation of the 6th Central Pay Commission.

Abstention from duty in the examination of class X, XI and XII to be conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur and the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur in February this year would be part of the agitation, she disclosed, adding that over and above this, the teachers would also stay away from all academic duties and boycott forthcoming Lok Sabha election.

In the protest demonstration attended by many teachers, principals and vice-principals of various schools, placards inscribed with slogans like 'Implement 6th Pay Commission', 'Make Education (S) a corruption free department', 'Appoint suitable Director and Additional Director of Education as per norms', 'Take action against officials who could not complete MGEL', 'Complete the process of recruiting Higher Secondary lecturers by MPSC before commencement of new session', 'Extend the service tenure of Higher Secondary part-time lecturers', 'Provide necessary infrastructures at newly upgraded higher secondary schools', 'Appoint teachers for computer and engineering drawing', etc were seen being used.

The Association has also contended that crores of rupees that the Government of India had sanctioned for development of infrastructures in school education have remained traceless apart from another Rs 28 lakhs for providing internet facilities in all the higher secondary schools.

Even if higher secondary schools have been upgraded newly in accordance to the education policy of the Government of India, necessary infrastructures have not yet been provided nor the required teachers appointed.

In such a situation, it is high time for all the teachers in the State to join hands and take up some concrete action, the Association exhorted.

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