Over 900 guest faculty teachers at Maulana Azad Model Schools haven’t received their salaries for over four months now. This is owing to fund crunch in the Minority Welfare Department and administrative issues with the Finance Department.
The Maulana Azad Model Schools, run by the Minority Welfare Department for students of the minority communities, started by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in 2017-18, have been mired in multiple administrative tangles and lack of funds.
The Hindu in December 2023 reported that with less than four months for the academic year to end, students of these schools had not received uniforms. Though the supply of uniforms has begun, not all schools have got them yet.
This comes even as Mr. Siddaramaiah recently sought a ₹1,000 crore action plan for the development of minority-dominated localities in the State, drawing the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Started in 2017-18
The State government started 100 Maulana Azad Model Schools in 2017-18 for which the Finance Department approved 700 teaching posts, including 100 headmasters and guest faculty members.
However, the department did not give approval to any teaching posts at another 100 schools started in 2018-19. Nevertheless, the Minority Welfare Department went ahead and recruited 929 guest teachers, including headmasters, for these 100 schools and have been running them since then, paying their salaries out of its own funds.
However, owing to fund crunch in the department, these 929 guest teachers, whose postings haven’t been approved by the Finance Department, haven’t been getting their salaries for over four months now.
“Our life is dependent on this monthly remuneration with no other source of income. We haven’t got our salaries for the past four months now. We are not aware as to why we haven’t got our salaries. We appeal to the government to release our salaries immediately,” said one of the guest teachers.
Talks with Finance Dept.
Jeelani H. Mokashi, Director, Directorate of Minorities, said that administrative issues with the Finance Department were being resolved and assured that the guest teachers would get their salaries soon.
“The Maulana Azad Model Schools, which were started during Mr. Siddaramaiah’s previous tenure, were completely neglected during the BJP regime. It is unfortunate that these schools continue to be dogged by fund crunch and apathy even after Mr. Siddaramaiah has come back to power. We hope that he gives attention to the issues plaguing these schools,” said Chand Pasha, advocate and social activist from Ramanagara.
