HYDERABAD: Telangana government’s decision on Saturday to revise the monthly remuneration for contract lecturers in junior colleges across the state, which will translate into their basic salary being at par with their counterparts holding permanent positions, drew mixed response from various quarters.
“According to an order issued by the state government, the salary for contract lecturers in junior government colleges has been increased from `27,000 to `37,100. This is a welcome move and will enrich the education system in the state,” said P Madhusudan Reddy, secretary general of Telangana Junior College Lecturers’ Association.
Organisations like Telangana Private College Lecturers’ Association, Telangana Junior College Lecturers’ Association and Government Colleges Contract Lecturers’ Association in Hyderabad were formed to spearhead the fight going on for the last 16 years asserting two key demands -- regularising the services of contract lecturers and payment of equitable salaries to them as per the orders of Supreme Court. In a relief to contract workers, the SC had ruled out in June 2016 that temporary workers are entitled to wages at par with permanent employees.
President of Government Colleges Contract Lecturers’ Association, Hyderabad, S Srinivas Reddy said, “We are happy to say that we are not merely underpaid contract lecturers but time scale contract lecturers. We will now be at par with the permanent lecturers as far as our basic salary is concerned. We, contract lecturers are not entirely at par with them still as we won’t be availing dearness allowance and house rent allowance. But this achievement has restored our faith in the government. However, the demand for regularising the contract lecturers’ posts is yet to be fulfilled.”
The state cabinet had passed a resolution on February 2, 2016 for regularisation of services of contract lecturers and a GO was issued to begin the process by fixing eligibility criteria. However, after facing opposition from a few quarters, the decision of regularisation is sub judice. Madhusudan Reddy asserted that he chooses this day to assert the stay on the government order on regularisation of contract lecturers position should be reconsidered and discussed in the SC.
‘Revision of salary needs to be systematic’
Meanwhile, Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman M Kodandaram said, “Decision from the government is important but I would still push for the complete implementation of the 2016 SC verdict that specified that there can be no doubt, that the principle of equal pay for equal work would be applicable to all the concerned temporary employees at par with the minimum of the pay-scale of regularly engaged government employees. Even revision of salary for contract employees should be done in a more systematic way.”