All J&K Polytechnic Academic Arrangements Association, on Saturday, observed Grievances Day.

Leading the protest, president AJKPAA, Atul Sudan said, “The state government is in sleep mode since long that is why the demands of the highly qualified polytechnic Academic Arrangements is not visible to them.”

Sudan said, “Grievances Day was being observed to draw the attention of state government towards the plight of the academicians working in the polytechnics. Every individual has filed a separate grievance to Chief Minister’s Grievances Cell to tell the government that instead of making tall claims, it should strengthen technical education.”

He said that these Academic Arrangements were in the 24 polytechnics of the state and that too on a paltry salary of Rs 6,500 and Rs 7,000 even after acquiring high qualifications.

Monika Balowria said that there are 328 vacant posts in polytechnics whereas the Academic Arrangements were only around 225. She said that the department should regularize them. “We are doing equal work just like the permanent staff. Sometime the department allots us additional clerical work or we have to do miscellaneous work apart from full teaching.

“Our educational qualification is the same as that of permanent staff. However, there is pay disparity. The permanent staff members draw between Rs 50,000 to 60,000 and we are paid in between Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,000. In this much pay, we can’t support our families, nor can we meet our basic needs. The department should implement Supreme Court order of Equal Work and Equal Pay.

Academic Arrangements demands that the government should immediately come up with a suitable policy for all of them so that they can resume their regular class work. The others who were present were, Ankush Gupta, Sanjeev Choudary, Tarun Gupta, Umesh Gupta, Vicky Sharma, Kanav Gupta, Ajay Chib, Rakesh Bhatt, Atul Kodhi, Gagan Partap, Harmeet Kour, Renu Kotwal, Monika Baloria, Pooja Gupta, Renuka Rajput, Noshiba, Ruchi Gupta, Shivali Sharma, Narrotam Sharma, Neena Gupta, Himani Dubey, Sunil Bhatti, Archana Razdan, Bhawana, Vidhu Puri, Dupinder , Neha, Deepakshi, Chanderdeep and Pankaj Gupta .

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