VIJAYAWADA: Contract lior and polytechnic colleges have raised concerns over the non-payment of their May 2024 honorarium.
Despite fulfilling assigned duties, around 4,000 lecturers have not received their remuneration and are urging the government to release the pending amount.
A total of 3,619 junior lecturers and 250 polytechnic lecturers were previously given contract renewals with a one-day break. However, in 2024, they were required to take a one-month break. The previous government assigned them official duties during this period, but their honorarium remains unpaid.
For the 2023-24 academic year, junior lecturers were given renewal orders for 11 months from June 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, with May 2024 considered a ‘no work, no pay’ period. However, lecturers were assigned responsibilities, including IPASE May Examination duties, spot valuation, practical exams, admission drives, remedial classes, and outreach programmes. Each lecturer is owed Rs 57,100 for May after a one-day salary cut, with a total pending budget of Rs 20.50 crore.
Contract Lecturers JAC Co-Chairman Kalluri Srinivas said the Director of Intermediate Education was urged to release the pending honorarium. “After an inquiry, the director sent a proposal to the School Education Principal Secretary, but it remains unaddressed,” he said, stressing that salary delays disrupt livelihoods.
State Chairman of Contract Lecturers JAC Kummarakunata Suresh said multiple appeals were made to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh. He urged the CM to sanction salaries for lecturers who worked in May and approve a 12-month honorarium with a one-day break. Polytechnic College Lecturer and Contract Lecturers JAC Co-Chairman Dr P Sai Raju said out of 309 polytechnic contract lecturers, only 250 attended duty for 21 days in May 2024. He noted that Rs 1.04 crore remains pending, with each lecturer earning Rs 61,690 per month.
Education Secretary Kona Sashidhar said the finance department initially rejected the honorarium file but has resubmitted it. He assured that efforts are underway to resolve the issue.