Ludhiana, March 18
Around 600 part-time government teachers from all over the state assembled at the Rose Garden here to air their grievances regarding the “step-motherly” treatment given to them by the government and to devise ways to combat the “inequality” that they have been facing for a number of years. They were resentful of the fact that the government employs them on a contractual basis for six months and after that period, they are without any jobs. This policy of government can be termed as hiring and firing policy, they say.

Mr Gurjinder Singh from Government College, Rara Sahib, said, “All of us have been performing the duties which are of similar nature as of permanent lecturers. Though we have taken a stay against this hire and fire policy of the government, we are still insecure as the stay may be vacated. The permanent teachers are working against regularly sanctioned vacant posts. The government is exploiting qualified, competent and trained teachers just for one simple reason — save money for the state exchequer. The problem faced by us is that we are not able to finish the syllabus within six months that we are given. The students suffer due to the unfinished syllabus. Some of the lecturers have been working for the past eight to nine years on a contractual basis and they are on the verge of crossing the age bar. After they cross the age bar, their future is bleak.”

Parveen Kumar of Government College Dhudike said, “After the expiry of our contract, we are made to work without salary by the respective principals of our college with the assurance that we will be given the job next year. Those who refuse to work without salary are not re-employed in the next session. Sometimes teachers are not re-employed after teaching for three-four years. This leads to depression and loss of face for the teacher.”

They further told this correspondent that in most of the colleges a lot of teaching work was being done by part-time teachers. In Hoshiarpur Government College, 35 part-time teachers were employed, in Sonam 17 and in Rara Sahib 15 part-time teachers and only 6 permanent teachers were carrying on with the teaching job. Same was the situation in other government colleges too.

Sukhdeep Singh said, “We are paid a paltry sum of Rs 6,000 and we are not given any benefits like provident fund, medical expenses etc compared to a salary of Rs 12,410 and other perks to a permanent teacher. Since our assignment lasts for six months only, we have to look for examination duties . The students do not prefer to take tuitions from part-time teachers. We hope the government will stop this discrimination against us.”

Ludhiana, March 18
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Bineflex Engineering Works to pay Rs 20,000 to Dharam Pal Subash Chand as compensation. The forum also directed the company to repair the machine sold to the complainant and change its gear box.

The complainant, a plastic-bag-manufacturing firm, had purchased a plastic-tube-manufacturing machine for Rs 1,98,000 that turned out to be defective as many parts of it, including its old Radicon gear box, binder, rubber roll, air ring and blower had rusted.

The gear box priced at Rs 35,000 was an old one of Radicon Company that had been taken over by another firm.

The gear box was not in production for over three years. The output of the machine was not up to the mark.

The respondent allegedly ignored the request of the complainant to replace the defective machine.

The respondent had admitted to selling the machine, but had denied that it had turned out to be defective.

The forum said the trademark Radicon had been changed to Greavas in 1994 and since then, no gear box of trademark Radicon had been manufactured.

The forum said the gear box fitted in the machine was old one and the respondent should repair the machine and replace the gear box.