Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 25: About 3000 students of over 18 Government Polytechnics opened in various districts of the State barely two years back, are badly suffering as the Department of Technical Education has failed to provide staff or even manage contractual staff under academic arrangement.
Not only at Kishtwar where irate students of Government Polytechnic held strong protest demonstration against shortage of staff and infrastructure on Tuesday, but this problem is being faced in all the other Polytechnics at various district headquarters including Doda, Udhampur, Ramban, Reasi or Kathua besides other parts of Kashmir. Though the classes of the students undergoing various Diploma Engineering courses including Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Automobiles, Electronics and Communication etc have started since the mid of August but till now the Directorate of Technical Education has failed to make the arrangement for the teaching staff.
So far, the department has been managing the staff for nearly 2000 odd students on contractual basis, under Academic arrangement but this year even October is going to be commenced and staff has not been appointed so far. Apart from Principal, hardly two permanent staff members are working as Head of Departments in most of these Polytechnics and it is not possible for them to teach at least four subjects to the students of each stream in the institutions. In most of these newly opened Polytechnics there are two courses. Each college/ institute requires at least seven to eight lecturers.
A student from Kishtwar Polytechnic told Excelsior that the timing of their college is from 10 am to 4 pm but students are free after 12 noon because there is no staff at all. Without being named, the student leader said that fed up with the system they were forced to take out protest demonstration, drawing attention of the Technical Education Department not to play with their career and provide lecturers.
He said the Polytechnic is being run in a shabby private building with no Lab or library facility. There were over 240 students in Kishtwar Polytechnic and many of them from various districts including Poonch, Reasi, Rajouri, Udhampur, Ramban etc.
Responding to a question, he said two lecturers can not do justice with so many students. Several representations were given to the Principal and even to the Deputy Commissioner but Principal Suket Gupta claimed that he was helpless. Yesterday when the students launched peaceful protest demonstration in the town, they were unfortunately lathi-charged by police. He said students of other Polytechnics should join hands for the collective struggle.
One of the HoDs at Udhampur Polytechnic when contacted admitted that same problem was being experienced by over 250 odd students there. He said this time appointment of contractual staff under academic arrangement has been delayed.
The Principal of the Polytechnic, Arun Bangotra has written to the higher authorities regarding this issue and it is hoped that issue would be resolved shortly. He however, claimed that two HoDs are teaching the students and some times a few guest lecturers are invited to cover the syllabus. He claimed that requirement of the staff as per two streams, Civil and Automobiles Engineering has been sent to the Directorate.
The smooth studies are possible only after the required staff is appointed under academic arrangement. He disclosed that consolidated wages of the contractual staff was likely to be hiked this year.
Sources in the department said that in Rajouri Polytechnic, the problem is not serious as it is under Baba Ghulam Shah Badshaw University. In Doda college where civil and Office Management courses are being run for the last two years, the problem is the same. In Ramban there is Electrical and Electronic & Communication Engineering and Kathua Mechanical and Travel and Tour.
Most of the colleges are in private buildings and in some places the construction work has been started. In Reasi, though Polytechnic has its own building, yet the staff condition is also worst there. Apart from inadequate infrastructure most of these institutions have no hostel for boys or the girls.
Secretary Technical Education, Parvez Ahmed Malik when contacted admitted that there was shortage of staff in almost all the polytechnics. He said the department was well aware of this problem. The applications were invited from the candidates for the posts of lecturers under academic arrangements for these polytechnics but due to litigation, the list could not be finalised and released.
The Directorate was contesting the case in the High Court and now the list has been finalized and approved. These polytechnics will be provided staff as per requisitions shortly, he maintained.
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