Contractual lecturers await job regularization, pending salaries

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir college contractual lecturers are up in arms against the government for its failure to draft a job policy and also delay to release their salaries since past seven months.

Hundreds of contractual lecturers in government degree colleges continue to bear the brunt of official indifference as they have not been paid salary for the past eight months. The contractual lecturers posted in degree colleges in rural and far-off areas are the worst sufferers as they do not have money to meet their travel and other daily expenses.

The problem of contractual lecturers does not end here. They also demand framing of “comprehensive job policy” in their favour.

They accused the government of deceiving them with false promises over the last two decades. “For the last two decades, we have been deceived by the government with false promises of regularisation and framing comprehensive job policy in our favour,” said Adil Ahmad, a lecturer working at Government Degree College Pulwama.

The disappointed lecturers alleged that the government was violating the court orders by tampering with the nature of their services. “High Court gave us interim relief in the form of status quo. But our college principals are not honoring High Court and are committing contempt of court on various fronts. They continuously change the nature of our services. We do not know whether we are need-based, guest faulty or academic arrangements?” Ulfat Jan, a female lecturer, working at Government Degree College Shopian, said.

She said lack of job security has taken a toll on their families. “Most of us have crossed the standard age limit and have been serving on meagre salaries for the last several years. Where will we go? We need job security. We are without salaries for the last eight months. Our families are suffering,” Sheeba Jan, another lecturer said, adding she appeals to the government to look into the matter.

On the other hand, contractual lecturers are paid a meagre monthly honorarium and on the other, the permanent lecturers are paid handsome salary without any interruption.

While assistant professors, professors and college principals are being paid the salaries on first week of every month, the contractual lecturers have been denied the same, prompting accusations against the Higher Education Department of being lethargic and discriminatory.

As per a report, currently, nearly hundred government degree colleges, including 12 women colleges, are functional in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, at least 45 degree colleges, established in the last 10 years, lack permanent land and building, regular teaching faculty and non-gazetted staff.

We received several calls from aggrieved contractual lecturers who complained their salaries have not been released for the last seven months. “Our salary is released from the Central pool fund by the Higher Education Department, but we didn’t receive our wages from August which is sheer injustice,” said another contractual lecturer.

A senior professor at Government Degree College Tral in Pulwama district said there were at least 15 contractual lecturers in the college and all of them have not received salary for the past seven months. “Government has not released funds for payment of their salary. Their salary will be paid only when funds are released by the government,” he said.