Kerala: Local Literacy Workers Unpaid Since March

In Kerala, since March 2021, the ‘Prerak’ or the literacy workers of the state in non-formal sector have not received any monetary compensation for their services as per a report in The New Indian Express.

The Preraks of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority, work at the local level giving education to around one lakh people in the non-formal education sector.

In 2017, the honorarium given under different categories of preraks was increased to Rs 15,000 for nodal preraks, Rs 12,000 for preraks and Rs 10,500 for assistant preraks. But 4 years later, never has been full amount been due to pay cuts and high targets.

As educational activities came to a stop due to the pandemic last year, these ‘preraks’ have been providing free literacy service at their panchayats as Covid-19 frontline workers.

As the State Literacy Mission expressed their helplessness to support the preraks, the general education department issued an order re-locating them to local bodies by 31 March. But the file pertaining to this matter has been delayed for months due to official lack of concern.

Discussing their plight, A A Santhosh, secretary, Kerala State Preraks Association said “The situation is such that we are neither identified as staff of panchayats nor as literacy mission workers. Though we are part of the Covid brigade and are willing to undertake literacy activities when the situation improves, authorities pass the buck when it comes to paying us.”

General Education Secretary A P M Mohammad Hanish told the reporters “We have been actively pursuing the case of the preraks for the past one month. The initial list submitted by literacy mission had some anomalies and these are being rectified. We are hopeful of completing the redeployment process at the earliest.”