The Times of India 08.01.2010
BMC denies teachers retirement benefits
MUMBAI: Last year, 199 public school teachers who gave the better part of their life to educating young minds were informed by the civic body that they did not possess the mandatory qualifications required to teach, and were therefore not entitled to any retirement benefits.
In an earlier diktat, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) noted that teachers should have completed their Diploma in Education by June 1985. A handful of teachers recently received a letter from the civic body stating that as they had a DpEd and not a DEd, they were not qualified to teach. Both DpEd and DEd stand for a Diploma in Education; DpEd was the earlier version when the SSC exam was taken in Class XI instead of Class X.
Hemlatha Varadan—one of the teachers who was informed that she was not entitled to retirement benefits—says she will never forget the June of 1983. It was the year she embarked on her career as a teacher at the Lokmanya Tilak High School in Ghatkopar. She retired in 2004, but is now struggling to get her pension from the BMC.
Recently, Varadan moved court and the BMC in its order dated November 2009 stated, “The MCGM has failed to direct the school authorities to discontinue her services. Since she has been continued in service until her retirement, though she lacked the requisite qualification, equity and fairness demands that she should not be deprived of her pension.’’ Varadan hasn’t received a single rupee of the Rs 60,000 annual pension she is entitled to. Like Jasveer Kaur Ahluwalia, a retired teacher who passed away last week without getting her dues, Varadan has been doing the futile rounds of government offices.
Ahluwalia’s former colleague from Guru Nanak School in Bhandup, who finds herself in a similar boat, says: “I have put in 34 years as a teacher, and I was on the rolls of the permanent school staff.’’ She told TOI that there was never a problem with her salary and promotions. “Officials who come to inspect the school did not inform me that there was any anomaly in my appointment. Now out of the blue, the BMC tells me I was not qualified to teach and won’t get any pension. What were they doing all these years?’’ asked the 59-year-old teacher.
Education officer Abasaheb Jadhav said the BMC was taking a “sympathetic approach’’ towards all the teachers.
“My department has recommended that pension be paid to these teachers. The matter is now being handled by the accounts department,’’ he said. Officials from the accounts department said they were processing the cases and that all the affected teachers will receive their dues. But Varadan and her colleagues have no idea when that day will be.
