Seven guest teachers of Puttur await salary for the last 18 months

Seven guest teachers of Puttur await salary for the last 18 months

Mangalore Today News Network

Puttur, July 15, 2014: Seven guest teachers working at Morarji Desai Residential School in Puttur, payment of salary is alluding them. They have been teaching in the school, without salary for the last 18 months and were forced to take odd jobs during their free time, to meet living expenses. The guest teachers were initially paid through Nehru Yuva Kendra. A changed  system shifted the responsibility of paying the salary  to Private Employment Bureau in Shimoga. The Bureau stopped payment after a few months leaving the teachers without a clue.

The promises of MLA Shakunathala Shetty and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel of  arranging payment of salary has remained only in  empty words.  Last month, the teachers protested against the injusticeby boycotting the classes. Soon, the students and parents staged a counter protest flaying that the classes were obstructed due to teachers’ protest. The elected representatives and department Joint Director Shanmugaswami who visited the school in June too promised that the dues would be cleared by the end of June. But the teachers are still awaiting even after a month has passed.

In  the first four years the seven teachers, were paid through Nehru Yuva Kendra. Later when the responsibility was shifted to the Bureau, teachers protested the move and refused to accept the salary for first few months. Subsequently, the Bureau released the consolidated salary of six month in 2012, which the teachers accepted. However, the payment was stopped after 2013.

Speaking to media, a guest teacher said that he had once written to the chief minister explaining the matter and requesting to at least lend an interest free loan of Rs 1.5 lakh. “Though I received an acknowledgement receipt, the government did not act on my request,” he said. Another guest teacher said he and other teachers work as daily wage labourers on the week ends and holidays for their livelihood.  “In spite of all the harassment, we have to prepare for teaching. Due to financial hardship, we are over burdened to repay the loans,” he lamented.

The government has appointed two teachers in Morarji Desai School, of which one teacher is on leave and another is a computer teacher. Therefore, the entire responsibility of teaching lies on the shoulder of guest teachers.  The seven teachers--Lokesh, Sadashiva, Sathish, Meenakshi, Jyothi, Prathima and Devaki-continue to teach with a positive faith to get  the pending salary dues.  The authorities must solve this injustice very soon.