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Teachers
protesting outside
the Malegaon Corporation
building.
(File Photo) |
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More Pains |
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 A Living Hell:
Established in 1863 Malegaon Municipal Council till a decade ago was regarded as one of the richest Council
in Maharashtra. It was so prosperous that when Nashik and Malegaon
both were Municipal Councils, it used to lend Nashik Municipal
Council the funds needed for the monthly payments....Read
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Malegaon:
For over thousand families here in Malegaon, life has become a hell
as the local civic body is persistently failing in paying its share
of the teachers’ and the pensioners’ salaries and pensions in time.
As of today the School Board has able to release the salaries till
December 2008. How and when it would release the remaining five
months' salary is still a mystery.
“My sister is
handicapped and is totally depending on me. But because our salaries
for five to six months are always pending and we get a month’s
salary after three to four months, I am unable to provide regular
medicines needed for her”, sadly said a teacher, pleading not to
disclose his name fearing the consequences.
Last time the
teachers had received their salaries was on May 25, 2009 when they
were given the salary for the month of December 2008. The salaries
from January to May are still pending with the board.
Ironically
this is not the first time the teachers and pensioners in Malegaon
are in a dilemma. In fact it has become the routine for them ever
since the civic body in Malegaon was elevated to a Corporation in
September 2001 and the State Government decided it would share 50%
of the teachers’ salary, against 80% as in case of Municipal
Council, and the remaining 50% would be shared by the local civic
body. But citing poor financial condition Malegaon Municipal
Corporation (MMC) refused to pay more than 20%.
Today the
situation has reached to such a position that many teachers are
forced to work as petty labourers to help their families. “Some of
us are working in the powerloom factories during the nights and
joining the schools next morning without taking any rest”, says
another teacher on the condition of anonymity.
Ironically the
bank loans and LIC premiums are regularly being deducted from the
salaries at the time of the payment, but they are not deposited to
the respective banks and LIC offices. “Nobody knows who will pay the
arrears and the ever increasing interests on the loans”, says the
same teacher.
According to
the sources the State Government is regularly paying its share of
50%. But the Corporation is in no way ready to share the balance
amount. This has resulted in its dues to the school board reaching
to over ten crore rupees.
Commenting on
the situation Saleem Apsara, the newly elected chairman of the
school board says, "My top priority is to regularise the teachers'
salary and for this I am communicating with the State Government."
Hearing of the matter today in
Court
The teachers
affiliated with various All India and State level Organizations
wandered from one office to another in order to persuade and request
the concerned ministers and officers to find a solution. When their
struggle couldn’t bring them any result they moved to the High
Court.
"We filed a
writ petition in the High Court on February 6, 2007. On which the
court in its decision taken on February 12, 2007 directed the
corporation to release the payments within 15 days. Else it would
recommend the government to dissolve the civic body", Umar Qureshi,
the president of the Malegaon Teacher’s Association informs while
speaking to ummid.com.
The
Corporation in response to the court decision rushed to the Supreme
Court pleading inability for making the payment due to poor
financial condition and sought further extension in the time limit.
The Supreme Court while giving the relief that it would not be
dissolved directed the corporation to release the salaries in the
stipulated time. To control the situation the State Government
sanctioned a loan amounting to ten crore rupees to the Civic Body
and any harm that was in store for the corporation was averted for
few months.
The Supreme
Court ruling saved the corporation however for the teachers the
situation still remains the same and to this date they are
struggling to get their salaries. Subsequently the Teachers'
Association moved to the High Court again this time with a contempt
petition against the corporation as it failed to obey the court
order. In its hearing on April 6, 2009, the High Court set June 15
as the final deadline for the corporation to release all the pending
salaries.
As the
corporation has failed to obey the court order yet again, the hopes
of the beleaguered teachers are now rest on the High Court which
would be hearing their petition today on June 15.
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