IMPHAL, Feb 9 - Agitating teachers of government colleges in Manipur have intensified their stir by resorting to relay hunger strike on Saturday.
The teachers are on strike since January 28 under the aegis of Federation of Government College Teachers� Association (FEGOCTA), Manipur in protest against non-implementation of their 10-point charter of demands, including adoption of 7th UGC Pay and Regulations 2018.
The teachers started the strike with a sit-in-protest on January 28.
Due to lack of positive response from the government, the teachers observed cease work on February 3.
On February 6, police foiled the teachers� bid to take out a protest rally in Imphal.
Unhappy with the alleged adamant attitude of the State government, the teachers of NG College observed hunger strike on Saturday on the college campus. Teachers of different colleges turned up to take part in the hunger strike.
Talking to reporters at the protest site, FEGOCTA vice president RK Indira announced that if the State government fails to address their demands, they will boycott the post-graduate examinations scheduled to start on February 14.
She further said that the relay hunger strike will be observed at different colleges until the government issues order for implementing the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations 2018.
She claimed that the State government had agreed to fulfil their demands and the State Cabinet had even approved the adoption of 7th UGC Pay and Regulations 2018 in principle, but it was yet to be implemented.
Indira recalled that the teachers have been pressing the State government to fulfil their demands since September last year and to this end they launched various forms of agitation, including cease work strike. However, they had suspended the strike after the government assured to fulfil their demands, she said.