Gurukul Part-Time Staff Protest Enters Fifth Day

Vijayawada:The mahadharna by part-time teachers, lecturers and staff of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Gurukul Vidyalayas entered its fifth day at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Friday, with employees continuing their protest despite rain.

Led by KVPS state general secretary Andra Malyadri, the protest drew support from several organisations and leaders, including advocate Jaibheem Rao, former MLC S. Ramakrishna, CITU state vice-president K. Uma Maheswara Rao and CPI(ML) Liberation leader D. Haranadh.

The leaders said employees had not received salaries for several months despite assurances from officials that pending dues would be cleared immediately. They alleged that the government had also failed to honour its promise to convert part-time employees into contract staff.

They demanded immediate payment of arrears, equal pay for equal work, abolition of the part-time system, contract appointments, job security and consideration of the long service of existing employees. They urged the government to hold talks and implement assurances given by officials and education minister Nara Lokesh during his Yuva Galam programme. The leaders also criticised allocation of funds to social media influencers while gurukul staff remained unpaid. The protest will continue on Saturday.