Latur, Nov 17 (PTI) Several hundred lecturers of government polytechnic colleges on Friday claimed they had to celebrate a "dark Diwali" due to non-payment of salaries.

Of the 45 such colleges in Maharashtra, two, for women, are in Latur and Tasgaon in Sangli district.

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These colleges have 30-40 visiting lecturers who are appointed on 11-month contract on salaries ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000, an official said.

A lecturer from the Government Women Polytechnic in Latur claimed he and his colleagues have not received salaries for the past eight months.

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Visiting lecturer Sudhir Salunke said he and others were forced to celebrate 'dark Diwali" due to dearth of funds and rued the lack of support from the government.

"We have EMIs, insurance premium payments etc but we are not getting any help," he said.

"Colleges are expected to pay salaries from the PLA (personal ledger account), which has funds from admission fees and other forms of revenue. For this (salary disbursal), principals must get permission from the joint director," said lecturer Shivprasad Birajdar.

Umesh Nagdeve, joint director of Technical Education, Regional Office, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said colleges concerned must approach the government in connection with salaries of lecturers.

"We have meagre funds in the PLA. We are personally taking initiative to pursue the government for salaries of these lecturers," Principal KM Bakwad of Government Women Polytechnic College said.

VD Nitnawre, Principal of Puranmal Lahoti Government Polytechnic College in Latur, said 50 per cent salaries were given as per official guidelines before Diwali.

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