MUMBAI, December 4: Nearly 1000 teachers from all over Maharashtra participated in a day-long dharna at Mantralaya on Wednesday to protest the state government's violation of the 1989 agreement about introduction of National and State Eligibility Tests (NET/SET) for candidates wishing to become teachers.

The protest, led by Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations (MFUCTO), decried the government's failure to correct the GR dated December 22, 1995, and its failure to hold a discussion with MFUCTO on the issue.

General Secretary of MFUCTO, C R Sadashivan, said several hundreds of teachers with job experience of 5 to 6 years have been affected by the government circular, which treats them as `Adhoc Appointees' without the benefit of annual increments.

In fact, even the service years of teachers are not counted due to this order for the purpose of promotions and better placements. ``The government has not solved the problem in spite of an assurance given in January '96,'' Sadashivan said.

Addressing teachers at the dharna, MLC P G Dasturkar informed MFUCTO that an adjournment motion will be moved in the Legislative Council on the first day of the session, i.e. on December 15, this year.

Teachers of Maharashtra will also join teachers from other universities in India on December 9 in a `Cease Work' demonstration to press the implementation of the Rastogi Committee recommendations with necessary modifications.

More than 2,50,000 teachers from all over India are expected to participate in the demonstration. This is reportedly intended to be a warning prior to an all-India indefinite strike of teachers from January 20, 1998.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.