Mumbai teachers to get arrears due from May 2005

Here’s a Holi bonanza for the school teachers in the city. Teachers of aided and private unaided schools, who have not received arrears since May 2005, would get their outstanding dues before March 22, along with the rest of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation employees, says the latest government resolution. Teachers will be paid from Rs8,000 to Rs52,000.

For the first time, the BMC is paying long overdue arrears to the primary school teachers, at the same time as its other employees.

In a circular dated March 16, the municipality has directed private school managements to pay the arrears to these teachers before Holi.

“The BMC’s decision has come after a lot of struggle,” said Pramod Shinde, member, Education Samiti. He added that if a private school does not pay the teachers before the deadline, BMC is authorised to withdraw the approval of such schools.

The news has come as a pleasant surprise to nearly 10,000 school teachers who had not yet received their arrears under the sixth pay commission salaries, since their arrears have been due since May 2005.

“It is good that we are finally getting our dues but I will remain skeptical until I get the amount in hand. There have been several circulars in the pas promising us pay hikes, but when it comes to implementation, we only get half of what we are offered,” said a teacher from a South Mumbai school.