KADAPA : Contract lecturers working in various IITs across the State for the past eight years have urged the new State government to increase their salaries. They alleged that the previous government failed to address their legitimate demands.
It may be recalled that about 200 contract lecturers were appointed in 2017 and 2018 through a notification by Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT). The lecturers expressed distress that RGUKT had hindered their growth for five years, ‘labelling’ them as TDP supporters.
Despite many attempts to voice their grievances, they claimed that the authorities had remained unresponsive. After a month-long protest, the previous government hastily issued GO 110, making only nominal salary adjustments.
The contract lecturers alleged discrimination stating that while their counterparts in government polytechnics and degree colleges get a basic pay of Rs 52,000 to Rs 57,000, they are paid only Rs 39,000 despite working in a technical university. This has left them struggling to manage their children’s education and parents’ healthcare.
In pursuit of justice, the lecturers have filed a case in the High Court against the State government and RGUKT. When questioned by the court about the non-implementation of Minimum Time Scale (MTS), the authorities claimed that these lecturers were hired on a temporary basis as needed.
The lecturers accused the RGUKT authorities of discriminating against them due to their ‘perceived association’ with the TDP.