LAKHIMPUR: The contractual faculties of the eleven new Polytechnic and two Engineering Colleges BVEC and GEC established in 2017 and 2018 under the Directorate of Technical Education, Kahilipara have sought the Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma’s intervention for the permanent solution of their woes. In this connection, they have also sought the attention of the authority concerned for the deplorable and pitiable condition of their service life.
As per information received, these faculties were recruited in 2017 through a stringent process by way of panel-based interviews and the candidates were selected based on their academic performance in the qualifying exam. Even in the advertisement the cut off percentage was kept as high as 80 per cent and above. The entire process was completed following proper AICTE guideline.
After the selection, the then Director of Technical Education made the faculties to submit their original documents. The faculties were given extension of 6 months initially which was gradually reduced to 4 /3 months and each extension letter is issued with new clauses and conditions every time. There have been multiple instances where salary was kept on hold to inflict unnecessary mental harassment and trauma on these faculties.
However, since last one year the harassment has allegedly increased in manifolds. The Director of Technical Education deliberately delays the extension letter for reasons unknown to them causing a state of financial instability of the faculties. Despite such challenges the faculties have been rendering the full-time service with full dedication keeping in mind the future of the students. The 11 new polytechnics and 2 engineering colleges are running smoothly with all the contractual faculties who work full time for both academic and administrative works. Still, they are not paid equal salary as per AICTE norms. Multiple requests were made time and again to accord equal pay for equal works and to accord safety security of their job but all pleas and pleads have fallen in deaf ears.
“Since our inception in the services every rule and regulation have been altered time and again facilitating the directorate to put pressure on the faculties on various fronts without extension and the deprivation of salary. This has definitely led to a state of stress, trauma and mental harassment on the faculties. Most of us are the sole breadwinner of our family and these various tricks and trickery to inflict harassment upon us has crossed all human limits. During these eight (8) years of service the faculties have been used for the fulfilment of their purpose degrading us to the level of mere puppet. Since all our hopes have been shattered by the concerned authorities who have continuously rejected our pleas and pleads for justice, we resort to seek shelter from our current Assam Government because in various contexts our Chief Minister has rescued the deprived mass time and again. Finally, we lay our hopes on the visionary leader and being confident that in such dire situation he would understand our pathetic plight and come with empathetic and positive decisions to save us from harassment and provide us with due respect and recognition of our services,” a section of faculties concerned said in a statement.
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