Kolkata, Oct 29 (IANS): West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has asked the Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) to meet him to discuss their long-pending "legitimate" demand for implementation of the fresh pay scales announced by the University Grants Commission two years back.

A senior JUTA official said on Monday that Dhankhar, who is also the ex-officio Chancellor, called him up and described the demand as "legitimate".

"The Chancellor told me that he has seen in newspapers that our pay scale has not been implemented yet. He said Bengal is one of the four states where the scale was yet to be given effect.

"He said it was our legitimate demand which has been pending for a long time. He wanted to sit with us and see whether he could do something," JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy told IANS.

Roy said he told the Governor that he would get back to him after discussing his proposal with other association members once the university reopens on Thursday after the puja vacation.

"I told him there are other issues like the Institute of Eminence tag for JU, which has been held back by the Central government. Some other central programmes are also stalled. The statute has also not been done.

"The Chancellor said all the issues can be discussed once we meet him," he said.

After UGC published the new pay scale, JUTA representatives met the Higher Education Minister, handed over memoranda, and held rallies.

The JUTA representatives called on the minister on Friday but were disappointed to learn that the state government was yet to take a decision.

"We met state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Friday. We were disappointed when he said that the government is yet to take a decision.

"We have decided to hold a two-day cease work on November 19-20," Roy said.