With Dr Tatyarao Lahane, Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER) submitting the proposal regarding regularising lecturers selected through Divisional Selection Board (DSB), 500 such medical teachers have become optimistic. Maharashtra’s Medical Education Ministry is showing keen interest in resolving the issue of these lecturers. For past several years this issue is coming up for the discussion. These lecturers neither got any promotion nor any increment. Recently, these DSB lecturers registered their protest, of which Minister Amit Deshmukh took a serious note. In 2016, some 192 medical teachers were made regular, but over 500 are awaiting their regularisation.

 

These teachers in the Government Medical Colleges and Government Dental Colleges in Maharashtra have been deprived of several facilities those their colleagues got regularised long back have. On April 26, 2020 Maharashtra Cabinet has given nod to regularise temporary lecturers in Government Medical Colleges working for more than two years in Government medical colleges (GMCs) across the State. The decision will benefit 250 lecturers in Maharashtra immediately. Admitting the fact Dr Lahane told ‘The Hitavada’, “Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh is very much positive on the issue of DSB lecturers and I have submitted a detailed proposal in this regard.”

 

Dr Sameer Golawar, the Executive Secretary of Central body of Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) said, “Several medical teachers who are called DSB lecturers have knocked the doors of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh, PWD Minister Ashok Chavan, former Speaker of State Assembly Nana Patole to press their demands. I must appreciate one thing that all the ministers have responded positively.” According to Dr Golawar, Government may stick to its own decision of April 2020 and regularise the teachers who have completed two years. “But our demand is those who have completed even six months of service should be regularised,” Dr Golawar made it clear. “Government is aware of the plight of DSB teachers. These DSB teachers have been playing an important role in this state of COVID-19 pandemic. Government is willing to resolve the issue permanently,” said Dr Lahane These DSB teachers have not yet received the benefits of 7th Pay Commission but after a long struggle they feel Government would pay attention to their demands.

 

Earlier, Government had come up with the decision in the year 2016 wherein it had regularised 192 medical teachers. That number included 159 Assistant Professors, 24 Associate Professors and junior lecturers. The pain of DSB teachers is their problems regarding salary, no insurance facility during pandemic, mental stress as many of them are working for more than 5 years on temporary basis, remained unaddressed since long. Though they have stress of not being regularised, they have a lot of hopes. None of them have compromised while delivering their duty in the hospital. Welcoming the decision of Medical Education Ministry of April 2020, MSMTA has demanded its early implementation. If all 500 get regularised in State, it will be a big respite to these hard working community during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also resolve the teachers vacancy issue to some extent, feels MSMTA.