Contractual lecturers demand salaries, job regularization
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir College Contractual lecturers are up in the arms against the government for its failure to draft a job policy. The teachers also rued the delay caused in releasing their salaries.
Hundreds of contractual lecturers in government degree colleges continue to bear the brunt of official indifference as they have not been paid salary for the past eight months, the protesting teachers said.
The contractual lecturers posted in degree colleges in rural and far-off areas are the worst sufferers as they do not have money to meet their travel and other daily expenses, they added.
The problem of contractual lecturers does not end here. They also demand framing of “comprehensive job policy” in their favour.
The protesting teachers accused the government of deceiving them with false promises over the last two decades.
“For the last two decades we have been deceived by the government with false promises of regularisation and framing comprehensive job policy in our favour,” said Adil Ahmad, a lecturer working at government degree college Pulwama.
The disappointed lecturers alleged that the government was violating the court orders by tampering with the nature of their services.
“High Court gave us interim relief in the form of status quo. But our college principals are not honoring High Court orders and are committing contempt of court on various fronts. They continuously change the nature of our services. We do not know whether we are need-based, guest faulty or academic arrangements,” Ulfat Jan, a female lecturer working at government degree college Shopian asked.
She said lack of job security has taken a toll on their families.
“Most of us have crossed the standard age limit and have been serving on meager salaries for the last several years. Where will we go? We need job security. We are without salaries for the last eight months. Our families are suffering,” Sheeba Jan, another lecturer said.
On the one hand, contractual lecturers are paid a meager monthly honorarium and on the other, the permanent lecturers are paid handsome salary without any interruption, they added.
While assistant professors, professors and college principals are being paid the salaries on first week of every month, the contractual lecturers have been denied the same prompting accusations against the higher education department of being lethargic and discriminatory.
As per a report, currently, nearly hundred government degree colleges, including 12 women colleges, are functional in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, at least 45 degree colleges, established in the last 10 years, lack permanent land and building, regular teaching faculty and non-gazetted staff.
A senior professor at government degree college, Tral, in Pulwama district, said there were at least 15 contractual lecturers in the college and all of them have not received salary for the past seven months.
“Government has not released funds for payment of their salary. Their salary will be paid only when funds are released by the government,” he said. (KNT)
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