As court battle drags on, teachers say struggling to make ends meet

NEW DELHI: The

teachers

at 12 branches of

Guru Harkrishan Public School

(GHPS), who have been fighting a long court battle for their pending salaries and related dues, told the Delhi high court they are struggling to make ends meet without any source of income.


In a joint petition, the teachers have accused the

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee

(DSGMC), which runs these schools, of deliberate negligence and said that the committee must be brought to book.

They have sought direction from the court to the DSGMC and the Directorate of Education (DoE) to release the arrears of salary/gratuity/other terminal benefits in accordance with the recommendations of the Sixth and Seventh

Pay Commission

.

The court had on October 24 directed the DoE to determine the dues payable to each of the petitioners after taking into consideration the calculations given by both sides.

However, the petitioners alleged that the DoE did not comply with the court's order.

On December 13, the court gave three weeks time to DoE to determine the dues to be paid out to the teachers after the department sought extension, saying that computations have not been filed in most of the cases. The court said, "The petitioners as also the respondents are granted one week to approach the concerned directorate, failing which it will be open for the directorate to file its calculations on basis of the available record along with an affidavit
pointing out non-cooperation by the parties."

The DoE couldn't be reached for comment.

Speaking to Timesofindia.com, one of the petitioners and retired staff of GHPS, Mrs Rajni Naik said, "The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Committee has erred on the legitimate payments pertaining to the dues related to the 6th Pay Commission and are showing great amount of reticence to implement the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. In a gist, it's a contumacious attitude towards the staff, courts of law and the

DSEAR

(Delhi School Education Act & Rules) 1973."

The DSEAR 1973 guarantees a 'parity' of wages for the private unaided and government schools, including minority unaided schools to abide by the Act in letter and spirit.

However, DSGMC president

Manjinder Singh Sirsa

refuted the allegations saying they have disbursed about Rs 80-90 crore to the teachers from the

Gurdwara

committee.

"The schools are not generating enough funds and yet the committee has made sure that the teachers were paid whatever money was available. We have said in the court that we will provide the remaining dues whenever available," Sirsa said.

The court will again hear the matter on February 19, 2020.


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