Court asks state to deposit salaries of 6,000 teachers soon

Mumbai: The Bombay high court chided the state for delaying the salaries of around 6,000 teachers who have refused to open a new bank account in the Bombay Cooperative Bank, demanding their salaries to be credited in their old bank account in a nationalised bank where they have been getting their salaries since 2005. The court said the delay could lead to a load of problems for the teachers and hence the state should credit the salary without further delay.

A division bench of Justices Anoop Mohta and Bharati Dangre was hearing a writ petition filed by a teacher’s organisation Shikshak Bharati against the non-payment of salaries of around 6,000 teachers for the month of July by the state as they had refused to start a new account in the Mumbai District Cooperative Bank (MDCB).

Counsel for petitioners Rajiv Patil  argued that the teachers had refused to open accounts in MDCB, as it has been guilty of financial irregularities in the past.

However, additional government pleader informed the court that the salaries had not been paid because they had not submitted bills to the treasury. “Salaries of 15,000 teachers have already been paid and as soon as bills are submitted, the salaries of these 6,000 teachers will also be disbursed,” he said.

Advocate Girish Godbole for MDCB refuted the allegations and said the bank could provide audited accountants to prove the teachers wrong.