Mumbai University teachers still waiting to be paid despite court order

While Ganeshotsav has brought cheer to many, government school teachers have been left struggling without their salaries due to the controversy over who is to pay them, though there was a court order on this. Government teachers have been complaining of not having received salary since July this year.

The controversy began after the government issued a resolution on issuing the salaries through the Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank (MDCC), instead of the teachers' existing Union Bank accounts. The teachers' had approached the court.

The Bombay High Court, in an interim order two weeks ago, directed the state to issue the salaries through their Union Bank accounts.

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Teachers struggle
"75% per cent of teachers who still have their accounts in Union Bank have not received their salary as per the court order," said Janardan Jangle, president of Teacher Democratic Front (TDF).

"I am yet to pay the installment for my home loan, children's school fees are pending, and unfortunately even to celebrate Ganesh Utsav we have taken loan," said Indrajit Vasant Gaikwad (42), a teacher from Balak Vihar Vidyalaya, Kandivali west.

"My mother is bedridden, we have medical expenses in the family. Moreover it's festival season and we don't have money to celebrate it properly," said Rajesh Pandya, a teacher from Fatimadevi English High School, Malad west.

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Principal is assured
However, one of the principals said teachers may not have received salaries because of a technical glitch. "We have received a message from Union Bank saying the salary will get deposited by Monday," said the principal.

No one from Union Bank responded, but the MDCC claimed that the salary had been transferred. "In total we received 220 school paybills from the education inspector in Mumbai, and the teachers' salary was transferred by 2 am on August 24," said Pravin Darekar, chairman of the MDCC.

Also read: Mumbai: Penniless July for 27k teachers as bank a/c fight intensifies

Don't blame us
The education department says that they are not to be blamed. "The delay is from the schools. Whatever paybills we received before or after the deadline of August 16, we have forward to the MDCC," said B B Chavan, Deputy Director of Education.