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Finance Ministry curtails privileges of university lecturers!

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The Finance Ministry has made arrangements to stop providing funds for air tickets and other facilities to university lecturers who travel abroad for postgraduate studies and training.

The ministry has informed this to the University Grants Commission in writing. The letter also said that measures taken in relation to all government institutions will also apply to universities and higher educational institutions due to the current economic crisis.

The appointment letter of lecturers who have been working continuously for seven years says that they are entitled to a one-year leave for their post-graduate studies or training activities, and the lecturers who go abroad will be given facilities such as air tickets.

However, the lecturers said doing away with these facilities is a violation of human rights and the university lecturers are of the opinion that since they are entitled to the seven-year leave facility for the work they have already done, there is no possibility to violate the rights related to that period.

Meanwhile, University Grants Commission Chairman Professor Sampath Amaratunga said they could have arrived at a compromise had the Finance Ministry discussed the issue with them before taking this decision.

The chairman pointed out that measures such as creating a ration system for universities, preparing a waiting list for lecturers going abroad and providing financial facilities accordingly, and providing these financial facilities from the income earned by the universities could have been discussed prior to taking the decision.

The professor warned that universities could become ‘deserts’ due to this new decision.

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