In a major relief to the guest teachers of government colleges in Madhya Pradesh, ahead of assembly polls, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that their honorarium and reservation in recruitment for permanent vacancies would be doubled. The chief minister increased the reservation quota from 25 per cent to 50 pc.
The CM also announced a slew of other benefits for the guest teachers at an ‘Atithi Shikshak Mahapanchayat’ in Bhopal on Saturday. He said these teachers will be regularised by conducting special exams similar to the one held for ‘Gurujis’ of the school education department. Their contract will be for the entire year too, he added.
The guest teachers have been agitating for long on various demands including a hike in honorarium and other benefits.
Chouhan announced that the cloud of uncertainty will be removed for the guest teachers as from now on they will get monthwise and not period-based honorarium. The grade-1 guest teachers will get an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month instead of current Rs 9,000, grade-2 will get Rs 14,000 instead of Rs 7,000 and grade-3 contract teachers will get Rs 10,000 honorarium instead of Rs 5,000. Arrangements will be made to pay the honorariums on a fixed date every month, the CM said.
Chouhan said that they will receive the honorarium for all 12 months of the year. Currently, the guest teachers get honorarium only for working months. They will also be given bonus marks during recruitment by the higher education department. The CM also said that a permanent policy will be made to remove the uncertainty regarding these teachers.
Chouhan asked the teachers to give a commitment that they will teach students to the best of their ability and secure the future of the children and added he would commit to removing the uncertainty regarding their jobs.
Earlier in the day, ex-chief minister and Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath had taken up the issue of the agitating guest teachers. “Guest teachers of Madhya Pradesh are the backbone of the education system of the state. The guest teachers have been making some just demands for a long time. We understand their problems and the Congress government will give them full respect. We will ensure both the future and economic future of the guest teachers. Justice will be done to them on their perennial service and other demands including honorarium,” Nath had said on social media platform X.
‘Deendayal thaali for Rs 5’
At another event to inaugurate the third phase of Deendayal Rasoi (kitchen) scheme, the chief minister said that now the citizens in the state will get a full meal just for Rs 5 under the scheme. Till now, the meal plate under the scheme cost Rs 10. The CM also inaugurated permanent kitchens in 66 urban local body areas. This will take the total number of Deendayal kitchens to 166 where food will be available for Rs 5 only.
During this programme, the CM also provided land rights papers to 38,505 houseless people in urban areas. He reiterated that no families in the state will be left without land and house. Those who haven’t got houses under the PM Housing Scheme will be covered under the CM Housing scheme, he said.
