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HYDERABAD, Dec 22: A meeting of the Sindh Agriculture University selection board was held at the Tando Jam campus on Monday for the selection of candidates for some posts, including those of project director, assistant professor and 12 lecturers.
The meeting was presided over by SAU vice-chancellor Dr Basheer Ahmed Chandio and attended by the board members who conducted the interviews of the candidates.
STRIKE: The SAU Teachers Association observed a token hunger strike at the campus on Monday to protest against the selection board meeting despite opposition by the association and elected teacher-members of the syndicate.
A press release of the association said that the vice- chancellor should not have held the board meeting as his tenure had already ended on Nov 26.
The SAUTA said that the university had been in a state of crisis during the tenure of Dr Chandio.
SAU VERSION: An SAU spokesman, in a statement, claimed that the selection board meeting was held in accordance with the rulers and the SAUTA organized the hunger strike as its some members had vested interests.
The statement said that the university administration believed appointments on merit.
The spokesman accused the association members of giving up academic and research activities and resorting to illegal methods to harm the reputation of the university.
TEACHERS’ WARNING: The Jamiat-ul-Mudarriseen has warned that if the government does not accept its charter of demands, primary and secondary teachers will boycott examinations and resort to hunger strike and protest demonstrations.
In a joint statement issued here on Monday, the leaders of the teachers’ organization, Khalid Afridi, Qazi Ehtashamul Haq and others, said that the teachers were finding it hard to make both ends meet due to the increase in the prices of flour, petrol, gas and other consumer items.
They said that while the rights of the teachers had been usurped, salaries of the assembly members had been increased.
They said the MNAs were performing Hajj and Umrah on government expenses but selection grade, intermediate, BA, MA, BEd and MEd allowances and increments, move-over and house rent of the teachers had been withdrawn.
They warned that if the government failed to provide relief to the teachers by Jan 2004, the responsibility of the consequences would rest with the government and the members of national and provincial assemblies.
