End discrimination against TSSA part-time instructors

Hyderabad: About 2,500 part-time instructors of arts, crafts and physical education under Telangana Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (TSSA) appealed to the State government to end discrimination against them compared to their counterparts.

According to TSSA Arts, Crafts, PET Teachers Part-time Instructors Association, State president K Krishna Hari said that the State government has re-employed all others working under TSSA and continuing their services. However, when it comes to the arts, crafts and physical education teachers working as part-time instructors under TSSA were denied for re-employment since March 2020. Due to this, about 2,500 of these part time instructors, who were earning a meagre salary of Rs 9,000, were deprived of even that salary during the troubled times of Covid.

Krishna Hari said services of arts, crafts and physical education teachers have been denied in the name of coronavirus. Efforts of submitting representations to the officials concerned and various leaders have not yielded any results. Even the protests organised to highlight their and their families' woes have fallen on deaf ears. The lives of part-time instructors have been in the doldrums since 2021. However, those appointed along with them in the united Andhra Pradesh have been continuing in service without any termination and drawing salaries for the entire year. Not only that, at present their counterparts have been drawing Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 salary in Andhra Pradesh.

But in Telangana, the Association State president alleged that they were being paid Rs 9,000 only. "Besides, our future will be in dark if the current academic year is considered as zero 'academic year', or if we are not re-employed. Arts, crafts and PET teachers are already fell victims to the debt trap and the families have been passing through tough times," he said.

The State government has terminated the service of all others working under TSSA and issued orders of reengaging them during the current academic year. But the same facility was not extended to them. Also, the State government has taken a policy decision to extend financial help to teaching and non-teaching staff working in private schools in the State, including those arts, crafts, PET teachers engaged by private schools. "But, when it comes to us working at meagre salaries under TSSA are not extended the same relief," he pointed out.