PANJIM: The Directorate of Education has asked all the government and government aided schools to examine and verify the details of prematurely retired teachers regarding revision of pension in view of the recent order passed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
The Discriminated Teachers’ Forum has appealed to all the aggrieved teachers, who were given early retirement at the age of 58 due to the government decision in 2005, to immediately meet their school heads or managements, where they have been last serving, to do the needful as per the circular following High Court directions.
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In a communication to Discriminated Teachers’ Forum president Neves Rebello, Directorate of Education has said that the government has decided to revise the pensions of the pre-maturely retired employees including teachers as per the directions of the Court.
“This office has issued necessary directions to all the heads of government and government aided primary, secondary and higher secondary schools directing them to examine and verify the details of prematurely retired employees and submit the same to the Directorate of Accounts,” DoE Director (Administration) Mahadev Araundekar said in the communication last month.
As per the then government decision, the teachers were made to retire early at the age of 58 instead of 60. The order was reverted in 2007, however, the teachers who retired prematurely were not granted compensation for the two years of lost service despite their repeated protests and petitions.
The teachers had then approached the high court, who in September, last year, ruled in their favour.
Speaking to O HERALDo, Rebello, said that the High Court has directed the government to grant us our rightful dues, which was deprived to us through school management.
“I request all the aggrieved teachers to immediately meet their past serving school heads to do the needful as per court directions,” he said.
He said it took innumerable hunger strikes, morcha and protests by the teachers to get the compensation. “We were forced to undergo so much by the callous and insensitive government by refusing to hear our genuine grievances. They refused to undo the harm and injustice caused to the teacher community, making our lives more miserable in our old age. We are sincerely grateful to the high court for considering our genuine grievances and granting us much delayed justice,” Rebello said.
