Following the demand raised by the Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teacher’s Organisation (MFUCTO), the state government on Monday announced the release of 71 days’ salary of more than 12,500 teachers which was withheld for seven years. The state released a government resolution (GR) on Monday directing concerned officials to release the salaries agreeing to an quantity of Rs 1,91,81,98,669.
According to MFUCTO, more than 12,500 teachers of 11 universities of Maharashtra who had participated in a protest from February 4, 2013 to May 10, 2013, have been not paid their due salaries for 71 days. The protest throughout the semester examination time was staged for numerous pending difficulties such as discrepancies in the National Eligibility Test (NET) exam and Sixth Pay Commission. The state government had not paid salaries of teachers who participated in the protest claiming “No work no pay” policy.
Tapati Mukhopadhyay, president of MFUCTO, mentioned, “Teachers who participated in the protest completed examination, assessment and academic work during that period. The results of semester examinations were also declared on time. The state had no right to withhold salaries of teachers who had completed their work.”
On January 23, 2019, the Bombay High Court (HC) directed to release the quantity equivalent to 71 days’ salary of teachers as expeditiously as achievable, and in any occasion, prior to March 30, 2019. The Supreme Court (SC) on March 2, 2020 upheld the Bombay HC path and dismissed the particular leave petition filed by the state.
But, members of MFUCTO mentioned the state government did not release the salary or problem a GR regardless of court orders. SP Lawande, basic secretary of MFUCTO, mentioned, “The state government did not release salaries of these teachers for the last seven years despite directions of the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court. The court had directed the state to release salaries as the government itself had admitted that ‘No work no pay’ was not applicable because teachers had completed their assigned academic duty during the protest. But then the lockdown was initiated and the state government did not bother to release the remuneration.”