Lecturers engaged on temporary basis to teach in government degree colleges have gone without salary for three months now.
A group of contractual lecturers from Shopian district complained their salary has been withheld by the higher education department causing inconvenience and anxiety among them.
“We contacted the concerned authorities in higher education department and Governor’s grievance cell, but no action has been taken so far in this regard,” said one of the contractual lecturers from Shopian.
The contractual college teachers now threatened agitation against the government if their salaries were not disbursed soon.
“We will go for suspension of class work in colleges. The government will be responsible for the consequences of the strike,” the lecturer from Shopian said, declining to be identified.
Greater Kashmir received several emails and telephone calls from aggrieved contractual lecturers who complained their salaries have not been released for the last three months.
Monthly wage of contractual lecturers with NET qualification is Rs 28000, while others get Rs 22000.
“Our salary is released from the central pool fund by the higher education department, but we didn’t receive our wages from June,” said another contractual lecturer.
An official in the higher education department (HED) said the requisition for release of monthly remuneration for contractual lecturers was submitted by respective college principals on the basis of the number of candidates engaged for the academic arrangement.
“Academic arrangement is a working arrangement made by the college principals on their own responsibility,” the official said.
“Central pool fund is not meant for the salary of contractual lecturers but it has been utilised by several dispensations for this purpose, creating a mess.
The HED official explained, the pool fund is the students’ fee charged by the concerned colleges.
“This fee is to be utilised on student related activity only,” he said.
Secretary higher education, Sarita Chauhan said the department was finding ways to find funds for salary of the contractual lecturers.
“We have to arrange funds for it and we are looking that whosoever has been engaged should get the monthly remuneration. Nobody will remain without salary but they need to have little patience,” she said.