MIRPUR ( AJK )Jun 26 (APP) ::The affected faculty of Engineering and Technology in the State ~run Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) have requested to the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir State / Chancellor of the University Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry to immediately intervene into the current situation by reinstating all the sacked contractual employees and withdrawal of all, what they described, unjustified actions including imposition of different forms of sanctions against the regular faculty of engineering and Technology by the sitting varsity administration.
The Mirpur University Of Science & Technology (MUST) administration had, on Thursday, dismissed contractual faculty from service and stopped pays & allowances of permanent faculty staff of the Engineering and Technology for holding strike / boycotting classes for unlawful & fallacious demands, it was officially announced by the Varsity management.
Talking to APP here late Saturday the representatives of the affectees of the E&T faculty maintained that the administration of the Mirpur University of Science and Technology seems not serious to settle down the ongoing embargo faced by the faculty of engineering and technology following recent dismissal of 17 contractual employees and sanctions against about 97 regular academicians of the engineering and technology of the varsity.
While expressing grave concern and dismay over the alleged stringent action against the faculty of engineering and technology, the affected engineering faculty of the MUST termed the varsity’s action as injustice, harsh, and unjustified most particularly against the overall interests and reputation of the university and the students.
The affectees were of the opinion that this action of the administration of the University is tantamount to, what they feared, the academic interests and degrading the good reputation of MUST varsity as well as the engineering faculty.
Meanwhile, according to the investigations conducted by APP Correspondent Azad government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir through a notification dated 25.11.2020, granted technical allowance to all the engineers registered with Pakistan Engineering Council and serving in the field at the ratio of 150 percent of the basic pay of pay scale-2017.
Later on, on the demand of the PEC registered engineers serving with the AJK government, through a notification, dated May 7th 2021, this allowance was granted to all the engineers serving in the AJK Government departments.
On June 4th, 2021, Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council addressed a letter to the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir (Chancellor of the public sector universities including MUST varsity in AJK), requesting him to allow / sanction technical allowance to all engineers teaching / working in public sector universities in AJK. After receipt of this letter, the Senate of Mirpur University of Science & Technology, Mirpur, in its meeting held on June 22, 2021, under the Chairmanship of Chancellor / President of AJK State, approved the grant of technical allowance to all the PEC registered engineers, teaching / working in the MUST, at the ratio of 150 percent of the basic pay of payscale-2017.
Later on, the Varsity Senate in its meeting held on April 26th, 2022, associated the grant of technical allowance with Engineering universities of Punjab.
It is worthwhile to mention here that this is the same administration of the MUST who got approved the grant of technical allowance from the June 22, 2021 Senate meeting and later reportedly got associated the decision for grant of the technical allowance subject to the implementation of the decision in the engineering universities in Punjab, in its immediate past senate meeting held on April 26, this year.
After the decision of Senate met on April 26, 2022, the PEC registered engineers working / teaching in MUST, launched protest in support of their demand for grant of the technical allowance by going on the indefinite pen-down strike on May 30, this year.
The varsity administration terminated services of 17 contractual teachers of the engineering faculty who besides imposing sanctions in shape of stoppage of salaries and other stipulated fringe benefits of the regular engineers working / teaching in the faculty of engineering and technology.
At the same time the affected contractual and regular teaching staffers of the faculty of engineering and technology of the MUST contended in a press release issued here on Saturday as saying “The FoET, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, MUST, is very responsible and worried about the future of their graduates and will cover all the academic loss of their graduates to strengthen their technical skills. It is the need of time that the concerned authorities should take a notice to resolve the very genuine issue of FoET.
Despite the AJK notification, very clear directions of PEC, Senate approval, the recommendation of FnP, the Syndicate, the case of 25% TA out of approved 150% is re-presented in 23rd meeting of Senate and finally, the grant of TA in favor of FoET is attached with engineering universities of Punjab by claiming the invalid reason of current poor financial health of University.
The FoET, MUST has approached all the relevant forums for their due right of 150% TA which was principally approved in 22nd meeting of senate and finally decided for pen down strike to record their peaceful protest on 30 May, 2022.
The Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FoET) is providing its services since 1980 in the University College of Engineering and Technology which was campus of Azad Jammu and Kashmir University, Muzaffarabad and turned into Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur in 2008.
The Engineering Faculty is well qualified and most of them have completed their higher studies from the well reputed institutes across the globe i.e., China, America, Canada, Korea, Sweden, Germany, Australia, UK, etc. The engineering graduates are working in various national and international organizations for the betterment of state which is self-explanatory example for the quality of education provided by FoET.
On 7 May 2021, the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had approved the grant of Technical allowance (TA) @1.5 times of initial basic pay scales-2017 in favor of all PEC registered engineers who are serving in different departments. However, the FoET is still deprived from their due rights.
The Chairman, Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) had wrote a letter to the Chancellor, MUST for the provision of technical allowance in favor of FoET on 20 May, 2021. In response to this letter, the Registrar, MUST assured the PEC for the grant of TA in favor of FoET on 16 June 2021. Later on, the case is presented in the 22nd meeting of Senate, the most prestigious body of University and TA is principally approved in favor of PEC registered engineers serving in the university by the house on 22 June 2021 by passing through formal modalities of finance and planning (FnP) committee. Later on, technical allowance is also recommended by FnP and syndicate in favor of FoET till 31 march 2022.
It is pertinent to mention here that all the engineering departments are accredited by level-II under Washington accord, which is outcome based-education system and it is matter of proud not for only FoET, MUST while for the whole state. Moreover, in February 2022, the council of ministers for AJK affairs accompanied by Secretary Tourism and Information Technology had visited MUST, Mirpur for the establishment of special technological zone in MUST. The estimated capital investment was expected more than 400 million. All the managerial responsibilities and human resources will be provided by FoET for the establishment of special technological zone in MUST”, the PR added.
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