Guest lecturers to get salary dues soon: GTD

Higher Education Minister G T Devegowda informed the Council that guest lecturers working in first grade colleges had been given five years of age relaxation that would help them apply for the vacant posts of lecturers in government colleges.

Measures have been taken as per the rules of the University Grants Commission. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will also hold a meeting with the Finance department and solve the problems within the legal framework.

Members Hanumanth Nirani and S L Bhojegowda raised the issue during the question hour about meagre salaries being paid to guest lecturers and demanded that they be paid respectable salaries as per the educational qualification and job security be provided to them as many of them had crossed the upper age ceiling.

Devegowda said there were 12,674 guest lecturers working in 412 government first grade colleges. The government had released Rs 80 crore for their salaries, of which Rs 60 crore had been paid and Rs 20 crore would be paid soon. In 2017, the salaries, which were in the range of Rs 9,500 to Rs 11,500, were increased to Rs 11,000 to Rs 13,000. Bhojegowda said those having permanent jobs were drawing Rs 40,000 salaries, while guest lecturers had been working for meagre salaries for over a decade.

To another question by Sharanappa Mattur, Kumaraswamy said the government had issued orders to stop promotions for high school headmasters/mistresses as a case had been filed in the Supreme Court and the verdict was awaited.