[India] 1,000 teachers have yet to receive March salaries

In India, Punjab’s ruling AAP government has commenced its “Sikhya Kranti” initiative by inaugurating projects in state-run schools, and crores of rupees have been invested in the education system. However, around 1,000 primary school teachers in the district have yet to receive their March salaries, The Tribune reports.

Expressing their frustration over the state government’s slow response, the teachers maintain that the Treasury Department will only release the salaries when they get ‘the green light’ from above.

Paramjit Singh Mann - District President of ETT Teachers Union - told The Tribune that, aside from six-seven blocks, around 1,000 teachers in 12 blocks have not been paid for March.

“We have come to know that the budget for the salaries has come on April 9, but the government has verbally conveyed to the department not to release the salaries till further orders. We met the District Treasury Officer too, who said the bills were raised by several schools by April 14. Those salary bills were cleared on April 17, but more salary bills will be cleared after the nod from the high-ups,” Mr Mann said.

Another industry leader, Kuljinder Singh Baddowal, said April was the most important month of the year with parents bearing expenses for school admissions, school uniform, books and more.

“We spend maximum amount of money in March and April and if we do not get salaries in time, how will we survive? We are facing many issues due to unavailability of funds. When the salaries are to be given by the government, why not do it timely?” Mr Mann asked.

On April 21, the affected teachers reportedly stated that protests would intensify if the Treasury Department did not release salaries in the next couple of days. 

Source: The Tribune

(Quotes via original reporting)

In India, Punjab’s ruling AAP government has commenced its “Sikhya Kranti” initiative by inaugurating projects in state-run schools, and crores of rupees have been invested in the education system. However, around 1,000 primary school teachers in the district have yet to receive their March salaries, The Tribune reports.

Expressing their frustration over the state government’s slow response, the teachers maintain that the Treasury Department will only release the salaries when they get ‘the green light’ from above.

Paramjit Singh Mann - District President of ETT Teachers Union - told The Tribune that, aside from six-seven blocks, around 1,000 teachers in 12 blocks have not been paid for March.

“We have come to know that the budget for the salaries has come on April 9, but the government has verbally conveyed to the department not to release the salaries till further orders. We met the District Treasury Officer too, who said the bills were raised by several schools by April 14. Those salary bills were cleared on April 17, but more salary bills will be cleared after the nod from the high-ups,” Mr Mann said.

Another industry leader, Kuljinder Singh Baddowal, said April was the most important month of the year with parents bearing expenses for school admissions, school uniform, books and more.

“We spend maximum amount of money in March and April and if we do not get salaries in time, how will we survive? We are facing many issues due to unavailability of funds. When the salaries are to be given by the government, why not do it timely?” Mr Mann asked.

On April 21, the affected teachers reportedly stated that protests would intensify if the Treasury Department did not release salaries in the next couple of days. 

Source: The Tribune

(Quotes via original reporting)