Part-time lecturers working as special executive magistrate in different wards of the city amid the lockdown are demanding the government to acknowledge their services and provide them with equal insurance cover as that of police officials and sanitation workers.
In a notification dated March 20, the government had authorised the deputy commissioners in Punjab to appoint gazetted officers in the state, who are drawing a grade pay of ₹5,000 and above, as executive magistrates. These executive magistrates will be called special executive magistrate and appointed for the maintenance of law and order amid the situation that has risen due to Covid-19, said the notification.
Following the notification, around 18 part-time lectures from SCD College were appointed the duty of issuing passes.
Paramjeet Singh, assistant professor of Punjabi and National Service Scheme (NSS) in-charge at SCD College, said that he has been performing his duty in ward number 2 since March 26.
“None of the regular staff were asked to be on duty. We have been issuing passes and collaborating with different non-governmental organisation (NGOs) to provide food to the needy,” he said.
Singh said, “Even though we have been given the charge of special executive magistrate, we face difficulty in commuting. We issue passes to vegetable vendors, grocery delivery man and others in the areas allotted to us, but we are stopped by police who don’t accept the passes given to us by the administration.”
{{/usCountry}}Singh said, “Even though we have been given the charge of special executive magistrate, we face difficulty in commuting. We issue passes to vegetable vendors, grocery delivery man and others in the areas allotted to us, but we are stopped by police who don’t accept the passes given to us by the administration.”
{{/usCountry}}Anamika, assistant professor of English, said, “Only the part-time lecturers from our college have been asked to perform the duty. We don’t have any issue performing this duty as it is a global health emergency, but what about our rights? The government did not think about us when they announced the insurance cover.”
“It’s the police’s job to maintain law and order and it is the duty of sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness, but we are lecturers who are not even regular. We have been fighting for our rights as our contribution will not be recognised because our record is not maintained like that of regular staff. We want the government to acknowledge our services, just like the police or municipal corporation (MC) staff on duty,” she said.
On Saturday, the state government had announced a special health insurance cover of ₹50 lakh each for the police personnel and sanitation workers in the frontline in the battle against covid-19.
Meanwhile, principal of the college, Dharam Sandhu, said, “I have not received any report from lecturers having any difficulty on duty. If I receive any such complaint, I will speak to the deputy commissioner myself.”