UP: Ad-hoc Teachers of Govt Aided Schools Not Paid Salary for a Year

Lucknow: Arvind Kumar Awasthi, an ad-hoc teacher at Raj Narayan Jaiswal Inter College, Nagram in Lucknow and Kuldeep Singh of Jaunpur are among the hundreds of ad-hoc teachers who have been camping on the Directorate of Secondary Education campus in the state capital, demanding clearance of their pending salaries of one year. The teachers feel helpless, uncertain and discouraged, having spent nearly two decades of their lives suddenly upended.

A year on, no announcement has been made on giving the pending salary to the teachers of govt-aided schools despite work being taken from them over the year. 

Over 1,471 ad-hoc teachers working in government-aided government schools in 32 districts in the state resorted to the street last month to protest state government apathy towards a long list of demands, including one year pending salary. 

At present, ad-hoc teachers are posted in 32 districts of the state. Out of this, in 14 districts, the district school inspectors are releasing the salaries of ad-hoc teachers, while in 18 districts, they are not being paid salaries for the last 12 months.

A group of teachers are also on hunger strike, saying they do not have money to buy essential commodities. Therefore they decided to fast in their demand. 

Struggling to Meet Basic Expenses

The Madhyamik Tadarth Shikshak Sangharsh Samiti leading the sit-in protest said the employees were turning bank defaulters after not being able to pay the instalments of the loans while also struggling to meet basic expenses, including their children's school fees and buying groceries.

Union leader Prabhat Kumar Tripathi speaking to NewsClick, said the authorities' apathy had forced the employees to protest, adding, "How can employees make ends meet without their salary? Over a year has passed, but the authority has still failed to pay the salary since May 2022."

Teachers from many districts, including Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Gonda, Bahraich, Pratapgarh, Sitapur, and Basti, gathered in Lucknow for the last 15 days, demanding to release their pending salary immediately. 

Tripathi said although the Supreme Court has ordered the release of ad-hoc teachers' pending dues, the officers are acting arbitrarily. 

Tripathi added, "The department has given them a regular salary and other payments for 22 consecutive years, but since May last year, the department has stopped the salary of ad-hoc teachers." 

He said that due to the disbandment of the commission in 1993, teachers were selected by the management system in non-government schools, who were later ordered to pay salary and other allowances like regular teachers on the instructions of the Supreme Court. Since then, for 22 consecutive years, all ad-hoc teachers have been getting the salary. 

He said that ad-hoc teachers are currently posted in 32 districts of the state. 

"Out of this, in 14 districts, the District School Inspectors are releasing the salaries of ad-hoc teachers, while in 18 districts, ad-hoc teachers are not being paid salaries for the last 12 months."

Awashti, who has been teaching for more than 20 years in Nagram, told NewsClick, "My son has qualified for a competitive exam, and I do not have money to support his coaching. I can not bear the pain that my son's dream has been crushed due to a lack of money. What is the use of teaching for twenty years when I can not buy groceries and not paid instalments of the loans either."

Awasthi says despite taking equal work as permanent employees, salary is not being given to them. 

Another ad-hoc teacher Kuldeep Singh keeps receiving phones from the bank to repay the loan. Besides, he cannot send his kids to private schools.

"The situation is dire for thousands of families as employees are unable to pay their house rents, loans and school fee of their children, on top of which banks are imposing penalties. Despite such high inflation, our dues have not been cleared for almost a year," Singh told NewsClick. 

A teacher of Jan Samaj Inter College Digamerpur in Ayodhya lost his daughter in the absence of money, claimed Tiwari. 

The teachers' union has also written to the director of the secondary education board and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and secondary education minister Gulab Devi to intervene and provide a financial package, but it was proved to be mere lip service. 

The agitating para teachers said a question has been raised regarding this issue even in the Vidhan Sabha. Even after this, there is a continuous delay in the payment of salaries of ad-hoc teachers.