Assam CM assures jobs to terminated Polytechnic lecturers amid ongoing protests

Over 60 lecturers are staging a days-long protest in Guwahati's Sachal area after the Assam government issued termination notices, ending their contractual employment in polytechnics and academic colleges. The protest has entered its 24th day today on March 13. 

The sudden move has sparked outrage, with the affected lecturers accusing the government of betrayal after eight years of dedicated service.

Reacting to the ongoing protest, Assam Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "In 2017, we appointed 370 part-time employees in Polytechnic and Engineering colleges, paying them based on each class they conducted. Through a structured recruitment process, we hired 133 employees, while 67 resigned. The remaining Polytechnic teachers challenged their removal in the Gauhati High Court, which ruled that the government has no authority to regularise contractual employees. As a result, those who lost their jobs and those who secured the vacant positions are all Assamese and meritorious. Rehiring the former employees would mean removing the newly recruited ones, leading to further protests. With new Polytechnic colleges under construction in Hajo, Tingkhong, and Majuli, we have decided to offer the affected employees part-time positions while allowing them to compete for regular posts through the standard recruitment process, with age relaxation applied".

Many lecturers are rank holders and postgraduates, with their students securing over 84% in examinations. Despite their contributions, they were kept on contractual terms that barred them from seeking alternative employment.

Their demand for job security was met with silence until March 10, when the principals of their respective institutes handed them termination notices. The abrupt dismissal led them question the government's commitment to fair employment policies.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) issued a statement clarifying the government’s stance. 

According to DTE, in 2016, part-time lecturers were temporarily appointed in newly established polytechnics. However, permanent recruitment for these positions was to be conducted through the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). 

The part-time lecturers, however, challenged their termination in court, with multiple petitions stalling the recruitment process. 

The Assam Engineering Service Recruitment Board (AESRB) later announced the recruitment of 107 Assistant Professors and 137 Lecturers in 2023, with written exams already completed. Despite this, legal battles by part-time lecturers have further complicated the hiring process.

The protesting lecturers are now calling on the government to reconsider its decision, fearing that their years of service will go unrecognised.