North municipality teachers launch ‘symbolic protest’ against non-payment of salaries

Around 3,500 North Delhi Municipal Corporation teachers — who are currently engaged by the Delhi government in dry ration/food distribution duty, quarantine centres

Around 3,500 North Delhi Municipal Corporation teachers — who are currently engaged by the Delhi government in dry ration/food distribution duty, quarantine centres and for survey work — have launched a protest against non-payment of salaries..

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The “symbolic protest”, in which the teachers are wearing black bands and black outfits, was launched on May 16 and is against non-payment of salaries for the past two months , March and April. The north corporation, in total, employs 7,500 teachers, and their total salary bill comes to Rs 64 crore per month, officials said.

The north body’s standing committee chairperson, Jai Prakash, said, “We pay our teachers, sanitation workers, doctors, nurses, domestic mosquito breeding checkers (DBCs) and other staff from the money that comes from the Delhi Government under the ‘Plan Head’ annually. Last financial year (2019-20), we got ₹1,850 crore for the year under this head, and ₹568 crore of it was paid to us in the first quarter (April).”

“This year, however, we have got only ₹ 222 crore, which is Rs. 346 crore less. We are struggling and have already written in this regard to the chief Minister and held a meeting with Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal, on this issue. But we have not got any response from the Delhi government so far,” he said.

Ira Singhal, the north body spokesperson, said, “We cannot pay these people from our own funds because our internal sources of revenue — house tax, parking, advertisement, toll tax, community hall bookings — have all dried up because of the lockdown.”

The Delhi government refused to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, teachers said that they have been suffering for no fault of their own.

“I have been working in north municipality schools since 1998. We never faced a problem of delayed salaries before. But for the past six years now, we teachers are getting paid only once in three months said Kiran Sardana, who teaches in a north municipality school in Kishan Vihar.

“Before COVID, we would at least borrow money from lenders, shopkeepers, etc., but now, due to lockdown, no one is willing to oblige. I have EMIs to pay on a flat I purchased. Plus, there are elderly parents at home with health problems and medical bills, and children, whose school fee need to be paid,” said Balwan Singh, another north corporation teacher.

The municipality teachers’ union said that they are currently engaged on COVID pandemic duties under the Disaster Management Act, and thereby cannot hold dharna (demonstration) or stop work, which, otherwise, makes them liable to arrest and legal action.

“Therefore, we are only showing our disappointment and anguish wearing these black bands. However, we are constantly writing to the Delhi Government, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Home Affairs and Finance through Twitter and e-mails. While we are sincerely discharging all our duties, including teaching at this time, the authorities must understand that we also have families,” said Ramnivas Solanki, General Secretary of the municipal teachers association.