Aided College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) has urged the State Government to desist from considering Dearness Allowance as a benefit, and to rather look at it as a part and parcel of pay structure given periodically to manage inflation partially.
The government should, hence, reconsider its decision to withhold DA and to sanction it. The government should also allow employees to claim their legitimate surrender of earned leave, State General Secretary of ACTA S. Sahaya Satish said.
At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on socio-economic conditions of all nations, the sacrificial commitment of the medical professionals, health workers, sanitary workers, police force and social service volunteers need to be appreciated. The Central and State governments should support and show concern to its employees, and not put them into further hardship by refusing the due financial rights and provisions, Prof. Sahaya Satish said in a press release.
ACTA was of the opinion that the efforts of the Government to replace regular classroom teaching and tests with online mode was highly detrimental to the poor, marginalised and rural students. A suitable programme beneficial to the student community in toto should be evolved, he said.
Taking strong exception to what the ACTA described as the Centre’s move to implement the new education policy through the back door, he charged the government with taking advantage of the lockdown to implement common entrance tests for students who aspire to pursue their higher studies in Arts and Science colleges and universities. This programme will adversely affect the student strength in higher education institutions.
The proposed common tests must be scrapped so that higher education will be available not only to the creamy layer but also to the marginalised and disadvantaged students in the country, he said.
