Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Oct 16: There is good news for 1700 teachers from the different parts of Marathwada as they will get a pension on their retirement. It may be noted that The State Government stopped the implementation of the old pension scheme from November 2005 and introduced contributory fund for new employees to tide over a worsening financial crisis. Hundreds of teachers who have not qualified National State Eligibility Test (N/SET) joined senior colleges in Marathwada from October 23, 1992, to April 3, 2000, through a competent selection committee.

The Government made NET/SET compulsory to become a full-time teacher in granted colleges.The teachers cleared NET/SET during their service and obtained eligibility.But, the Government issued a circular on June 27, 2013, refusing the pension to the teachers even if they were selected to the competent selection committee.

The NET/SET Sangharsh Samiti moved the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court, which cancelled the circular in August 2013. The Government challenged the decision in Supreme Court (SC). In its interim judgment, the apex court directed the Government to give all the benefits to 21 petitioners (retired teachers) of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) since their service joining date.

The teachers filed petitions in HC, taking reference to the SC judgement. The HC directed the Government to give old pension scheme benefits to all the teachers who joined the service between 1992 and 2000 as they got the job before 2005. Despite this, the retired teachers were waiting for their pension. The teachers were facing financial problems in Covid situation without pension. NET/SET Sangharsh Samiti, Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Sena kept pursuing the matter with Higher and Technical Education Minister and other ministers.The proposal was tabled before the Cabinet meeting of the last week.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took the historic decision of implementing an old pension scheme for the teachers who joined the service between 1992 and 2000.

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President of NET/SET Sangharsh Samiti Dr Govind Kale said that the struggle, which began around seven years ago, bore fruit with the Government’s decision to implement an old pension scheme for those appointed in service from 1992 to 2000.“The retired teachers will get 50 per cent as pension out of the salary of the last day of his service. It was a matter of life and death for teachers who retired or will retire. Those who retired during the last ten years had a tough time without a pension,” he added.

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Dr Asha Bidkar, the main petitioner of the case said that the future of hundreds of families depended on the decision of the Government. “The old pension scheme implementation decision will also help to get CAS benefit from the date of joining the service,” she added.

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Around 100 teachers retired while 20 others died in Covid. The retired teachers and family members of the deceased teachers have been waiting for the pension implementation.