Aided college teachers urge Minister to implement CAS benefits

The State Higher Education Department has agreed “in principle” to implement the long-pending Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) benefits for teachers of government-aided colleges in the State, a teachers’ association representative said.

At a meeting with Higher Education Minister P. Viswanathan on Wednesday, which was attended by higher officials of the Department as well, the Minister assured the teachers that the long-pending demand to revise their salaries to accommodate CAS benefits would be taken up after due consultation with the Finance Department and clearance from the Chief Minister.

“For the first time in several years, we have received a positive assurance from the government,” said J. Gandhiraj, president, Association of University Teachers Tamil Nadu. A G.O. issued in 2021 said the monetary benefits of CAS would be paid to aided college teachers from August 1, 2018, although the 7^th Pay Commission revision came into effect in 2016. The revision was implemented in all government colleges but not in aided institutions, which has been a long-pending point of contention for the teachers.

A memorandum submitted to the Minister said that as many as 7,502 teachers were affected by the delay in implementation of CAS benefits and that implementing it would cost the exchequer ₹14.5 crore. It requested the officials to include CAS benefits to the salary for the month of June itself.

Prof. Gandhiraj said that the officials of the Higher Education Department informed the teachers’ representatives that the arrears could take some time to be cleared, but they gave off positive signals at the meeting.

Apart from the Minister, those present at the meeting include Higher Education Secretary, V. Arun Roy, Commissioner of Collegiate Education P. Ponnaiah, and Joint Director of Collegiate Education (Finance) R. Raman. The teachers were represented by Prof. Gandhiraj, J. Charles, Treasurer, AUT, A.T. Senthamarai Kannan, General Secretary, Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa, and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA), and R. Raja Jaya Sekar, Treasurer, MUTA.