Mysore/Mysuru: Continuing their weekly protest (every Tuesday) seeking fulfilment of their various demands, which chiefly included payment of wages for lockdown period and job security, Guest Lecturers, under the banner of Government First Grade Colleges Guest Lecturers State Co-ordination Committee, staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here yesterday.

Stating that more than 14,500 Guest Lecturers were serving in over 400 Government First Grade Colleges across the State, the protesters claimed that they are paid a paltry sum of Rs.11,000 to Rs.13,000 as monthly honorarium.

Maintaining that Haryana and West Bengal States have already announced job security for Guest Lecturers, they urged the Karnataka Government to follow this model and thus come to their rescue. Alleging that they are not paid wages for the lockdown period, they wanted the Government to consider lockdown period as service period and pay wages for the same. Seeking payment of Rs.10 lakh compensation to the families of each of the Guest Lecturers who either committed suicide or died of ailments, they warned of staging a hunger stir on Aug. 15 if the Government failed to respond to their demands.

JD(S) MLC K.T. Srikantegowda, who represents South Graduates Constituency in the Legislative Council, joined the protest in support of the Guest Lecturers.