Staff of govt-aided colleges in Mumbai yet to be paid this month

The staff usually receive pay between 1st and 5th of every month

Even as all are gearing up for the festive season, more than 2,500 teaching and non-teaching staff of government-aided colleges in Mumbai are still waiting for their last month's salaries. Only after several teaching organisations raised their voice over the issue and approached the Director of Higher Education, the process of salary disbursement started.

As per regular practice, and also based on the government order regarding salary disbursement for teaching and non-teaching staff of aided-colleges, salaries should be issued between the 1st and 5th date of every month. "This is a clear unprofessional approach of the Mumbai Joint Director's office of Higher Education. Salary disbursement is a regular process and why should we have to raise the matter?" questioned Kushal Mude, convener of All India NET SET Teachers Organisations and added that only after several organisations raised the issue, the process started.

"But why should we have to ask for salary? And why should we have to wait till the 10th day of the month when we are supposed to receive it latest by the fifth? Now, even if the order for disbursing salary will be passed, due to the long weekend ahead, banks will remain closed and there will be further delay," he added.

Manoj Tekade, president, Prahar Vidyarthi Sanghatna, which also raised the issue, said, "Every salary-driven household runs based on a certain system, which depends on the day salary is deposited. Be it domestic expenditure, loan-installments, bills of household utilities among all. Delay in salary can have a domino effect on all of it and disturb the financial cycle. Shockingly, we are not even facing difficult times just the way it was in 2020."

Also Read: Mumbai University drops to 96th position in national rankings

Director of Higher Education, Dhanraj Mane was unavailable for comment. However, an official from the Joint Director's office in Mumbai said, "The salary disbursement process started on Thursday and soon salaries will be deposited in employees' accounts."

2,500
No. of employees who are waiting for pay