Imphal, July 21: Academic activities in government higher secondary schools across Manipur have been severely disrupted as over 600 contract lecturers under the Lecturers’ Association Manipur (LAM), 2018 batch, began a six-day pen-down strike from today demanding completion of their long-pending regularisation process and payment of salaries.
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The striking lecturers, appointed on contract basis in 2019, said they were assured regularisation by a cabinet decision taken on January 4, 2022. The Education Department subsequently issued an order on January 8, 2022, confirming the regularisation of 603 contract lecturers, subject to verification by a departmental committee. The same order also included provisions for payment of entitled salaries and allowances from April 1, 2023.
However, members of the association alleged that the government has failed to implement these decisions in full. Many of the lecturers have not received regular monthly payments for the past three years.
During spot visits to various government higher secondary schools in Imphal East and Imphal West districts, classrooms were found largely vacant. Students were seen sitting idle or moving outside class areas, with no teachers available in several departments.
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One of the agitating lecturers, Th. Ranjit, said they had approached the Directorate of Education, former ministers, and even the Governor after President’s Rule was imposed in the state, but to no avail.
“It’s been more than two years. We are working without salary but still committed to teaching. But the authorities keep asking us to wait, how long can we survive like this?” he asked.
(Newmai News Network)