Punjab government decides to grant maternity leave to government college guest faculty lecturers

Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has decided to grant maternity leave to the guest faculty lecturers working in the government colleges on the lines of regular employees of the government.
The Higher Education Minister Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa officially announcing this here today said that this decision would benefit more than 1000 lecturers working in the government colleges of the state.
Giving more details about this decision, Mr. Bajwa said that now the guest faculty lecturers would be entitled to avail maximum of 180 days maternity leave as per the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961.
He said that this was the long lasting demand of the guest faculty lecturers from the time of the previous government. But when this matter was brought to his notice, he directed the department officials to take immediate steps to enforce the decision.
He further said that earlier only the permanent and part time lecturers had the facility to avail the benefit of maternity leave, but now the guest faculty lecturers have got a big relief after the implementation of this decision.
Mr. Rahul Bhandari, Secretary, Higher Education briefing about this decision said that as per the directions of the Higher Education Minister, the matter of Maternity leave for Government college Guest Faculty Lecturers  was been taken up with the Department of Labour and Finance on regular basis.
He said that after clearing all the technical issues, the decision regarding facility of maternity leave for guest faculty lecturers of government colleges has been now implemented. He further said that orders in this regard have been issued.