HYDERABAD: With contract lecturers demanding regularisation of their posts, the government notification to recruit 5,500 junior lecturers has hit a roadblock.
Speaking to Express, Government Colleges Contract Lecturers' Association general secretary K Suresh said most contract lecturers had crossed the age limit of 36 years for government posts and hence cannot move onto other professions. He demanded the government to either make their posts permanent or allow them to continue in service till their retirement. Suresh said they will be organising a Kutumba Godu (family grievances of contract lecturers) on January 21, urging support of all political parties to their demand. The 820 government junior colleges in the state employ around 12,000 lecturers, of which 9,200 are contract lecturers. The contract lecturers used to draw a salary of `4,500 initially, which was hiked to `18,000 last year.
Meanwhile, the teachers' associations are up in arms over another government notification to take up recruitment to 9,569 school assistant posts under the Rashtriya Madhyamika Siksha Abhiyan. The teachers' associations are demanding that 70 per cent of the vacant posts must be filled through internal promotions according to existing service guidelines. The Progressive Recognised Teachers Union general secretary Poola Ravindar demanded the government to scrap GO 3 and fill 70 per cent of the school assistant posts through promotions. He threatened that they would lay siege to the Secretariat if the government failed to heed their demand. The minister for secondary education K Parthasarathi has urged for constituting a subcommittee with cabinet ministers to discuss the issue.