Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The CHB Teachers Sangharsh Samiti has demanded that teachers working on a clock-hour basis (CHB) be appointed for 11 months and paid an honourarium of Rs 1.25 lakh per month. The Samiti has also threatened to launch a severe agitation across the state if its demands are not met.
The Samiti claimed that there are 12 universities and around 1,100 colleges in the state, where 90% of the teaching work is carried out by CHB teachers. The organisation has alleged that the CHB teachers are being treated as bonded labourers and are not paid an adequate honorarium.
The teachers have been working under this system since 1983-84 for nearly 49 years. In many places, especially in rural areas, teachers have not been paid an honorarium for a year and have been providing educational services despite severe financial hardship.
Teachers who have been serving in the same institution for more than 15 to 20 years are required to appear for interviews every year, which the samiti termed a dishonour to their educational qualifications.
CHB teachers are given only nine hours of teaching per week, and payments of Rs900 and Rs750 are made under different classifications. They are also required to perform clerical work without additional pay.
The committee has submitted its demands to the state government and reiterated that it will launch a statewide agitation if the issues are not addressed.
