Mumbai: After hearing complaints of assistant professors teaching in civic-run medical colleges and hospitals of not getting regular career progression, the Bombay high court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to frame and implement a policy to offer incentives to the aggrieved litigants. The HC also chided the corporation for putting the onus of making such a policy on the state.
A division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and S.C. Dharmadhikari was hearing a petition filed by the Medical Professor’s Welfare Association (MPWA) that sought time-bound promotions and better career progression, among other things.
The court in its earlier hearing had asked the BMC to file its reply to the points raised by the MPWA.
In its affidavit, the BMC stated that it was not opposed to introducing an incentive system for the assistant professors working in its medical colleges and hospitals but was waiting for the state to make such a policy.
It added that in the event of the state policy or scheme not having adequate promotional avenues for the petitioners, the corporation would frame and implement their own policy.
The bench did not accept the contentions of the BMC and said, “This means that even if the assistant professors in the corporation’s medical institutions are stagnating, the BMC will keep waiting for the state’s decision.”
The high court bench also directed the additional Municipal Commissioner (Health) of BMC to frame a scheme and implement it for its own assistant professors in its medical institutions.
