Mangaluru : BJP member S.R. Harish Acharya who turned ‘rebel’ and announced on Tuesday that he will contest the Legislative Council polls from South West Teachers’ Constituency said that some teachers told him that “money, liquor and inducement” were used in the last elections under the constituency.

Addressing presspersons, he said that according to the teachers, the three played a pivotal role in the last elections in the constituency.

Expressing concern over their use in a teachers’ constituency, Mr. Acharya, who said that he will file his nomination papers on Wednesday, added that the constituency as a whole had about 22,000 voters, the list of which is yet to be finalised. Dakshina Kannada had about 8,000 voters and there are about 3,750 votes in Udupi district under the constituency.

A former member of the Syndicate of Mangalore University, Mr. Acharya, who has decided to contest from the constituency by defying the alliance between the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) for the June 3 polls, said that teachers from primary to university level faced many issues for long. Under the alliance the BJP has left the constituency to the Janata Dal (Secular) to contest from.

The guest teachers in high schools, pre-university colleges and universities lacked service security. They also did not get minimum wages.

S.R. Harish Acharya, Farmer Syndicate member of Mangalore University, speaking at a press conference, in Mangaluru on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Listing out issues, he said that the government gave Rs.1,215 per annum for the maintenance of buildings of government pre-university colleges. The pre-university college principals got Rs.275 per annum as travel allowance. “It is a shame on the government. Teachers need justice,” he said.

He said that the government should fill up vacant posts in colleges, universities and polytechnics and industrial training institutes. Teachers in government, aided, unaided institutes and in residential schools should be covered under health insurance.

The government should appoint permanent principals in government colleges.

Mr. Acharya said that guest teachers in Mangalore University campus and in colleges owned by the university have not got their salaries for the past three months. The university is yet to pay evaluation allowance for college teachers as the university is facing financial crunch.

The Old Pension Scheme should be introduced to teachers, he said.