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₹117.57 crore: Bombay high court to pay Sinhgad Technical Education Society teachers’ salaries
As per the court directive, the social welfare department was to deposit the due reimbursement of ₹117.57 crore in the high court within a week’s time. The reimbursements to be only used to clear the pending salaries of the teaching staff, were to be released for 26 colleges only, out of the total of 56 colleges under STES.
Around 4,000 teachers struggling without salaries for the past 15 months are about to take a sigh of relief as the Bombay high court has directed payment of salaries to the teachers of the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES) from the ₹117 crore deposited in the court by the social welfare department (SWD). The SWD had deposited the money in the court on March 27, as per its previous directive issued on March 14.
As per the directive, the SWD was to deposit the due reimbursement of ₹117.57 crore at the high court within a week’s time. The reimbursements to be only used to clear the pending salaries of the teaching staff, were to be released for 26 colleges only, out of the total of 56 colleges under STES.
This money was said to have been pending for STES, as a government grant for admitting students belonging to the reserved category. However, the issue went to the courts after protests, by the teaching and non-teaching staff, led Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) to suggest appointment of a government administrator in place of the management. Nevertheless, the court had put a stay order on the suggestion.
“During the court hearing, a number of more issues had come to the forefront, whereby the central bank of India intervened for the clearing of ₹75 crore that the STES management had taken as a loan. Also, the income tax department stepped forward asking it to clear dues of ₹142 crore,” said Sachin Shinde,an ex-professor and spokesperson of the STES staff association.
However, on March 27, which was the fourth date of hearing at the court, the bench led by justice RV More and justice SS Jadhav directed that the entire money should be used for clearing the pending salaries only.
“It is truly a moment of hope for us, but unless we get a written order of the same and eventually get the money in our accounts, we will not be assured. It has been over 15 months that we are struggling incessantly and too many assurances have been made and broken. We need to get concrete results,” said professor PB Miniyar, Sinhgad Institute of Pharmacy.
