With the municipal elections knocking at the door, the Bengal Government has decided to effect a fat hike to the pension of retired school teachers.
The new pension rate will apply to the teachers who have retired before January 2016 and the order will apply to the family pensioners and teachers of Government-aided schools who have already been getting pension post December 2015.
According to sources in the State Education Department, the new order will imply about 20 percent rise in the pension of those who are in the age group of 80-85 years. Those who are above 85 years and less than 90 years will get a hike of 30 percent sources said.
In any case the Government has effected a minimum revised basic pension at Rs 8,500, sources quoting notification said adding the new order will be effective from April 1, this year.
“Bengal Government is facing great financial hardship … but still Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been pleased to allow a hike in pension of retired school teachers,” State Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said adding “no other State have shown such genuine concern for the retired teachers the way we have done, despite the limited financial capacity.”
Incidentally, Chief Minister has written to the Narendra Modi Government to clear dues worth Rs 50,000 crore.
She wrote to the Centre about how there has been a “steady reduction” in the central funds apart from inordinate delays in the release of such funds. “I write to you with deep concern regarding steady reduction of central funds to the state and also inordinate delay in release of funds to us from the Government of India,” Banerjee wrote reminding how the Centre was yet to release a grant of Rs 50,000 crore to the State.
This “extraordinary situation” is creating major difficulties in meeting obligations for the welfare of the state, she said.
Reminding that the delay in release of central funds which were due to the State was creating hardship in implementing the schemes that were essential for a welfare the letter said, “you will, no doubt, appreciate that both the central and the State Governments are expected to fulfill the constitutional obligations and the commitments to the people, so that respective Governments run smoothly … However West Bengal is being deprived of the huge outstanding dues.”
Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday reacted to the State Government’s repeated grudge against non-payment of its dues by the Centre saying that “the Chief Minister will only write letters and not visit Delhi personally as she will have to provide the accounts of the amount received and spent over the years He termed Banerjee’s letter to the Centre a “political ploy to befool people” ahead of civic polls in the Sstate.