Six bills passed on concluding day of Haryana Assembly's winter session

Chandigarh, Nov 19 (PTI) Six bills were passed by the Haryana Assembly on Tuesday which included the two to provide security of service to extension lecturers, guest lecturers engaged in government colleges, polytechnics and state institute of engineering and technology.

The Haryana Extension Lecturers and Guest Lecturers (Security of Service) Bill, 2024 and Haryana Technical Education Guest Faculty (Security of Service), Bill, 2024 were moved by Higher Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda.

Haryana Lease Of Agricultural Land Bill, 2024 was also passed unanimously by the House, with Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda describing it as "progressive".

This bill provides for a mechanism for recognition of leasing of agricultural land and to permit and facilitate lease of such land while protecting the ownership rights of land-owners, while also safeguarding the interests of the one taking it on lease.

Referring to Congress members including BB Batra and Raghuvir Singh Kadian raising various points when the House was discussing the Extension Lecturers and the Guest Faculty bills, Minister Dhanda said, "I cannot understand whether opposition members are in favour of these lecturers being given security of service or not." He clarified that when these lecturers had been appointed by the erstwhile Congress regime the then government did so without any sanctioned posts.

The Congress members including Batra questioned the government stating when a number of posts were lying vacant why regular appointments were not made.

Meanwhile, as per the Haryana Extension Lecturers and Guest Lecturers (Security of Service) Bill, 202, bill, presently, there are 184 Government Colleges where around 2 lakh students are pursuing higher education at under graduate and post graduate level.

There are 8,137 sanctioned teaching posts of Assistant Professors in various subjects in these colleges against which 3348 regular Assistant or Associate Professors are working.

"The state has a progressive policy of filling up the vacancies of teachers in Schools, Colleges and Universities, which is evident from the fact that an indent to fill up 2424 teaching posts of regular Assistant Professors (College Cadre), HES-II Group-B, has already been sent to Haryana Public Service Commission by the Department of Higher Education, Haryana.

"Nevertheless, it is also a fact that there is an unmet workload of teachers in Government Colleges. Presently, there are around 2016 extension lecturers and 46 guest lecturers working in various Government Colleges," as per the Haryana Extension Lecturers and Guest Lecturers (Security of Service) Bill.

Engagement of extension lecturers was started in the year 2010 when they were paid Rs 200 per period basis and engagement of present guest lecturers are working before 2014, as per the bill.

Over the past ten years, significant changes were made in their remuneration and other engagement conditions. Eligible extension lecturers and guest lecturers are being paid remuneration of Rs 57,700 per month on the basis of equal pay for equal work.

Under the terms of service under this bill, every eligible extension and guest lecturer who has completed at least five years of service on August 15 will continue to work till he attains the age of superannuation. PTI SUN NB NB