Mumbai: In a major relief to more than 23,000 teachers from state-aided schools in the city, who have not received their February salaries, the state education department has promised it will pay them within two days. The move came after the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the state to pay all the teachers their salaries via the Union Bank.
Since the last five to six months, the state and several teachers’ organisations have been in the middle of a court case over which bank should be used for salary accounts.
Initially, the teachers were paid through Union Bank but the state government changed it to Mumbai District Cooperative Bank (MDCB) which was highly criticised by the teachers in the city and state.
Later, the matter was taken to high court, which in the month of February struck down a decision to shift the teacher’s salary accounts from Union Bank to MDCB. Unsatisfied with the judgment, they then moved to the Supreme Court.
In an official mail, state education minister Vinod Tawde on Monday said, “All the salaries of the 23,000 teachers will be paid to their salary account within three days as per the judgment by the high court and Supreme Court.”
Teachers are happy that they won the fight. Anil Bornare, head of the Mumbai unit of Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad, said, “We are happy that our demands were finally acknowledged and accepted. We hope we get our salaries as soon as possible.”
