TUMAKURU: Thousands of guest lecturers working in government first-grade colleges across the state launched their three-day ‘padayatra’ to Bengaluru from Siddaganga Mutt here on Monday, demanding regularisation of their services.
Mutt head Sri Siddalinga Swamiji flagged off the padayatra and expressed solidarity with them. He urged the government to resolve their issues, including their key demand for job regularisation.
Before embarking on the 80-km ‘padayatra’, the guest lecturers performed pooja at the ‘gadduge’ (holy tomb) of Sri Shivakumar Swamiji and sought blessings. Led by their state president Hanmanthgouda Kalmani and district president Dr Dharmaveera, the lecturers will gather for a rally at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on January 4.
Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council and Karnataka West Teachers’ constituency MLC Basavaraj Horatti met the guest lecturers at the toll gate here and promised them to take up the issue with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the earliest.
On Friday, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar held a meeting with the guest lecturers and announced several initiatives, including a hike in their remuneration by Rs 5,000, health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh, one paid leave per month and Rs 5 lakh as a retirement benefit for those who have served for ten years. He had appealed to the lecturers to attend classes from Monday.
But not convinced by this, the lecturers continued with their strike. On Monday, the minister held a meeting with officials of the department and discussed finding alternatives as the strike has been affecting students. Over 30,000 aspirants had applied for the guest lecturers’ posts of which about 10,500 were selected and the government has a plan to hire those who missed out during the counselling to ensure that classes are run hassle-free.
The principals concerned have submitted their report on the guest lecturers who did not turn up for classes. Fearing that they will be axed, some of the lecturers, about 30 per cent, had attended classes on Monday, according to sources.