Hyderabad: Indefinite strike by universities contract assistant professors enters fifth day

Large number of contract teachers from 12 universities took out a rally from OU Arts College to University Administrative Building, as part of ‘Chalo Osmania’ call

Hyderabad: An indefinite strike by universities contract assistant professors, demanding regularisation of their services, entered into fifth day on Wednesday.

A large number of contract teachers from 12 universities took out a rally from OU Arts College to University Administrative Building here, as part of ‘Chalo Osmania’ call given by the Universities Contract Assistant Professors State Coordination Committee in protest against recent detention of protesting teachers by police.

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As the permission to erect a tent was reportedly denied by the authorities, contract teachers squatted on the ground in scorching heat and continued their protest.

Extending solidarity with protesters, BC Welfare Association president and MP, R Krishnaiah said it was the government’s immediate duty to resolve the demands of contract teachers working in the state.

TGCHE former chairman Prof. T Papi Reddy said there were no legal implications in regularizing the contract teachers. He asked the government to find ways to resolve the contract teachers’ demands instead of finding reasons to obstruct them.

Until completion of regularisation, all the contract teachers should be given the UGC pay scale with job security immediately, he said.

Contract assistant professors – Dr. Parasuram, Dr. Dharmateja, Dr. Velpula Kumar, Dr. Upender, Dr. Vijayender Reddy, Dr. Tallapalli Venkateswarlu, Dr. Vinitha Pandey, Dr. Sailaja Reddy, and Dr. Priya among others participated in the protest.