Headmistresses, teachers, clerks, and support staff who retired from privately managed, grant-in-aid primary schools under the BrihanmMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) currently receive family pension, gratuity, and retirement benefits as per the 6th Pay Commission. While in service, they were paid salaries according to the 7th Pay Commission. However, after retirement, the change in the applicable pay commission for these benefits has angered the employees.
The retired staff, upset over the reduced benefits, are now preparing to launch an agitation to demand their rightful entitlements. Despite continuous follow-ups with the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other concerned authorities, the issue remains unresolved.
What exactly is the problem?
Retired employees of the Municipal Corporation receive benefits according to the 7th Pay Commission. They are granted revised pension, family pension, gratuity, and commutation benefits along with full arrears. On the same lines, retired employees of privately managed, grant-in-aid primary schools under the BMC have been consistently demanding these benefits for the past two years through various channels.
However, due to the administration’s adamant stance, these retired employees feel they are being deprived of their rightful benefits. They allege that the BMC is giving step-motherly treatment to teachers and non-teaching staff from private primary schools. While they were in service, they were paid according to the 7th Pay Commission, but after retirement, their pension, family pension, gratuity, and commutation amounts are being calculated according to the 6th Pay Commission. The gap between the 6th and 7th Pay Commissions is significant, causing heavy financial losses.
The Teachers and Non-Teaching Staff Pensioners’ Association claims that the administration is withholding lakhs of rupees in arrears for thousands of women employees, giving the excuse that the Corporation does not have sufficient funds.
Despite sending repeated representations to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Education Secretary, Deputy Director of Education, Education Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (Education), and the Education Officer, the issue remains unresolved. As a result, the employees are now preparing for an agitation. Most of these pensioners are senior citizens aged between 60 and 85, and around 90% of them are women.
An attempt was made to contact Education Officer Sujata Khare regarding the matter, but she could not be reached.
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