JKHC asks govt to continue services of contractual lecturers

Srinagar, Apr 17 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the state government to allow the contractual lecturers working in various colleges to continue their services without any break and pay them as regular appointees.

A single bench of Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani pronounced the judgement on a writ petition filed by the contractual lecturers.

He asked the state government not to disengage and to continue the services of all the contractual lecturers till the vacant posts were filled by the Public Service Commission (PSC), which is the recruitment agency.

Justice Kirmani directed the PSC to fill the vacant posts in different colleges against which the lecturers were working within six months from the date of the order.

He further told the state government to pay the remuneration to the contractual lecturers as given to the regular appointees.

In their writ petition, the contractual lecturers had submitted that the state government ''unceremoniously'' disengaged them at the end of every academic year and were re-engaged by the department for another academic year on the re-opening of the colleges.

The contractual lecturers termed the government process as ''unjustified, unwarranted and discriminatory.'' They had also prayed that the government be directed to pay the salary and other benefits to the petitioners without any impediments and hindrance, treating them to be in their continuous service.

UNI