As for lecturers, the vacancies are only 119 out of 1,178 posts
Medical teachers from 14 government-run colleges have threatened
to go on a state-wide agitation if their demands for allowances and filling up vacancies
were not met. Currently, the public medical colleges including JJ, GT,
Cama and St George Hospitals are working without 25% teachers.
The Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) members plan to go on
a hunger strike. Patient care will not be compromised at any stage. Around 2,400
teachers may go on mass leave on December 19, MSMTA President Dr. NN Ramraje said.
MSMTA members feel that the workload on doctors has increased 10-fold in the last
few years, whereas sanctioned posts have remained the same. Moreover, at least 27%
of the sanctioned posts are filled up by temporary appointees. Figures suggest that
out of the sanctioned 327 sanctioned posts of professors in the state, as many as
109 are vacant. It is not only affecting the healthcare system but we are also losing
out on post-graduate seats, said Ramraje. The situation is similar for the post
of associate professors as out of 847 posts only 444 have been filled up.
As for lecturers, the vacancies are only 119 out of 1,178 posts; however, most of
the posts have been filled up by temporary appointments. One of our demands is that
the ad-hoc appointees who have fulfilled their eligibility criterion should be promoted
to the post of associate professors, said Ramraje. He added that only time-bound
promotions can ensure that experienced doctors climb up the ladder making way for
new talent to join the services. With every experienced teacher, we automatically
get more postgraduate seats, he said.
Besides, filling up vacancies, the MSMTA is also demanding that their non-practicing
allowance (NPA) be increased as recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission. Currently,
the teachers are entitled to 35% of their basic salary as NPA. The teachers are
unnerved by rumours that the government was planning to cut down the NPA to 25%.
Courtesy: Times of India
