Renew Vidya Volunteer services: Telangana High Court

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the government to state its stand on renewal of services of vidya volunteers who are working in government schools. The government has sought a week’s time to give its opinion.

Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavli gave this direction,while hearing a petition filed by J. Biksham and 98 others of Khammam district complaining that they were being forced to undergo fresh recruitment every year while the contracts of teachers working in gurukulas and model schools were being renewed with a technical break of one month.

Mr N.S. Arjun Kumar, counsel for the petitioners, brought to the notice of the court that there were 15,473 vidya volunteers in the state who had equal qualifications as that of regular teachers. They were recruited in a process that was open to all. Since they were appointed against sanctioned, vacant posts, they should be continued till regular teachers are recruited, he contended. 

The petitioners also raised the issue of meagre payment of Rs 12,000 per month to vidya volunteers who were discharging same responsibilities, duties and work as regular teachers. They contended that the state government had deliberately used the nomenclature of ‘volunteer’ and were paying a honorarium while in reality they were contract teachers drawing meagere wages. The petitioners sought minimum basic pay of corresponding posts for vidya volunteers.