Gadchiroli Sept. 3 (District Correspondent) When the entire teachers community all over the country will be celebrating their annual function ‘Teacher’s Day’ on coming Sept. 5, more than 550 contract teachers of the Zilla Parishad schools in the district will be helplessly awaiting their salaries which have not been paid for the last six months and have been facing severe financial hardships. How to participate in the coming ‘Teachers Day’ when their situation has become so pitiable is a big question being asked.
The Zilla Parishad administration had appointed these teachers on contract basis on the monthly honorarium of just Rs. 20,000 on the basis of their qualification. These teachers have been performing their duties in the schools of very remote areas of the district and teaching the students despite various odds like heavy rains, lack of roads and other civic amenities etc.
However, these contract teachers have not been paid their salaries for the last six months even after repeated requests and memorandums to the authorities concerned. They have been thus facing severe financial hardships and it has become quite difficult for them to lead their life. The honorarium fixed for them is very meagre and that is also not paid on time, which has made the life of these teachers quite miserable.
Many of the teachers could not pay the rent of their houses and were thrown out by the house owners while many of them are finding it difficult in managing the expenses of their families, told one of the teachers on the condition of anonymity. We have become quite helpless in want of our salaries and have been passing our days somehow or the other facing the difficulties, he added in a chocked voice.
When asked about the issue, Education Officer of the Zilla Parishad Babasaheb Pawar told that the Zilla Parishad has not received the funds for the payment of the salaries of the contact teachers. We have already informed the government about the issue and salaries will be disbursed as soon as we receive the funds from the state government, he added demanding early payment of the salaries and thereby giving relief to the teachers
