LARKANA, Dec 4: The management of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SBBMU) finally issued a notification to upgrade 180 members of regular teaching faculty here on Tuesday.

SBBMU Registrar Dr Amanullah Jokhio, who signed the notification, said the decision was taken in the light of the recommendations made in the 15th meeting of the university syndicate held on Dec 1, 2012.

It was an old demand of Chandka Teachers’ Association (CTA) which was constantly piling pressure on the university management and a stand-off was witnessed when Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Akbar Haider Soomro and chairman of the department of cardiology Prof Dr Saeed Ahmed Sangi developed a dispute and the matter went to courts.

Regular faculty members who would receive benefits were presently posted at the Chandka Medical College in Larkana, Ghulam Muhammed Mahar Medical College in Sukkur and Bibi Assefa Dental College in Larkana, the notification said.

The upgrade would take effect on July 19, 2011, with all financial benefits, the announcement said.

In the light of the notification, some 114 professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior registrars, senior lecturers and lecturers of the Chandka Medical College would be upgraded.

Similarly, 64 professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior registrars, senior lecturers and lecturers would be promoted in the Ghulam Muhammed Mahar Medical College, but only two assistant professors working in Bibi Assefa Dental College would be promoted in grade-19.

The notification came when the CTA on Tuesday circulated a letter for convening an urgent general body to discuss the issue of upgrade on Dec 8 to chalk out a plan for launching a campaign for the rights of teachers.

The fresh move from the vice chancellor of the SBBMU may ease the rising tension between the CTA and the SBBMU management.

Now the CTA would take up other issues like regular salaries to the newly-appointed teachers, honorarium for the basic side teachers, health insurance policy and G.P fund in the scheduled meeting, sources in the CTA said.

Speaking to Dawn on Tuesday, CTA general secretary Dr Ikram Tunio termed the step positive and welcomed the notification.