College teachers want to retire never?

Though Kerala Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac is known as an economist he is not a good Finance Minister. All the ‘innovative’ schemes worked out by him during last three years turned into utter slumps. For instance, look at the VAT lottery invented by him. A gold merchant asked me ‘what is it’ when I demanded the same after purchasing eight gram of gold. Except the initial takers of VAT lottery none is bothered about it now. The VAT lottery met with a natural death. His modernizing of check posts did not yield any good result instead the price of many essential commodities sky rocketed in the state due the deadlock in check posts. His plan for selling river sand from some places did not materialize despite huge loss as initial investment. His unification of retirement age has brought utter confusion among state employees and many employees are in a desperate bid to retrieve their lost benefit and promotion. His plan to invite educated youths sell Kerala daily lotteries is a damp squib as it as an unproductive and unscientific scheme invented to hoodwink them and against the true spirit of the State. How could a reasonable person equate educated youths to those helpless ones who are in frantic submission to meet the both ends by selling lottery? Remember, lottery ticket is purchased often not because of urgency but of mercy to the seller. An educated youth does not demand such a pity.

The most excruciating is his anxious proposition to get Rs 2000 Crore of central fund for implementing the UGC package for college teachers in Kerala. He confuses people with argument that this money would be lost if it is not being implemented before 31st March. This is quite absurd as there is no such stipulation in UGC package and it has been proved by the TN Government. Mr Isaac pretends to be unaware of the fact that thousands of unemployed youths with qualification like NET and Ph D are wandering in and around the State in search of a job. They have decided to hold a sit-in strike in front of the State Secretariat. The report of Malayalee youths committed suicide in Hyderabad and elsewhere are not a matter of deliberation for Isaac and coterie. Instead they resort to ulterior means to beat those sensible people who agitate for the cause of unemployed youths.


The deportment by the Youth Congress and AIYF against the obstinate attitude of Isaac and his well wishers is praiseworthy as they realized the unemployment situation in the State and at the same the posture of DYFI towards educated youths comes out quite dubious. The remark of Youth Congress President that a few Marxist leaders have to protect some of their relatives who retires on 31st March, 2010 seems significant.

UGC says it is at 65 for college teachers to retire then how could the Finance minister say to about 60? If he identifies any special circumstance that exists in the state then why he opts 60? The particular situation prevailing in the state urgently needs to implement the UGC package without extending the pension age from 55. If so it is highly helpful not only to the family of the retiree but also to the family of a new recruit of better knowledge and better qualification. The financial package to a pensioner is no too bad under UGC scheme. Then why the College teachers refuse to retire at 55?

K A Solaman