GUWAHATI, March 5 - The move by the State government to formulate a new provincialisation law has landed 20 colleges in Assam in a state of dilemma.
On the basis of The Assam Venture Educational Institution (Provincialisation of Services) Act, 2011, the Assam Government notified 158 colleges as qualified four years ago, and subsequently provincialised 77 degree colleges in the first phase and 57 others in the second phase.
�Twenty four colleges were initially left out as they had only one government concurrence prior to January 1, 2006. However, the Provincialisation Act was not clear if the concurrence sought was for both Part I and Part II. The government interpreted that the concurrence ought to be for Part II and so the 24 colleges which were earlier listed as qualified were left out,� Assam College Teachers� and Employees� Association (ACTEA) president and secretary Dr Ranjit Saikia and Tirtha Saikia, respectively, said.
They said that later the government agreed to the demands of these colleges, which had their Part II concurrence after the cut-off date (2006).
�The Higher Education Department asked the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) to send a proposal for provicialisation of these colleges. Of these 24 degree colleges, 20 colleges which had their Part I government concurrence prior to January 1, 2006, and subsequently obtained Part II concurrence within 2008 and also completed the services of seven years from the date of concurrence were sent for provincialisation,� they said, adding that the government had been sitting on the proposal for the past one year or so.
The association said that the fate of these colleges now hangs in a balance as the government is planning to introduce a new provincialisation law. �The high court has put a ban on The Assam Venture Educational Institution (Provincialisation of Services) Act, 2011, and has instructed the government to bring a new law. The White Paper tabled by the government in the Assembly in this regard is highly alarming and we feel that these 20 colleges will be victimised,� the association said, urging the Education minister to look into the issue.
