Salaries of municipal teachers working in 87 schools run by the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation have been pending for the past two months and teachers' associations led by Member of Legislative Council M.V.S. Sarma registered a protest on Teachers' Day on Sunday.
The MLC in a memorandum submitted to the portrait of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as a mark of protest for non-payment of salaries on first of every month and pointed out that despite the State Government releasing quarterly grant, the Municipal authorities were unable to ensure payment on first of every month.
“Government employees in the Municipal Administration take their salaries on first of every month, but do not bother to ensure the same for teachers in their schools run by them,' he lamented. When he raised the issue in the Council, State Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy promised to get salaries for teachers in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Hyderabad directly under 010 Head of account. “Even if that was pursued in the Government earnestly, it would materialize only from next financial year,” he observed.
‘Exemption'
The Commissioners of these corporations had been exempted from the 010 Head as they had claimed that their financial position was healthy enough to pay the salaries, but were unable to implement the same, he pointed out. Alleging that funds coming under salary head were being diverted for other purposes, Mr. Sarma advised GVMC officials to pay the salaries on time.
When contacted GVMC Additional Commissioner Finance and Accounts P. Poornachandra Rao said none of the municipal teachers raised their voice on Teachers' Day and the programme organised for honouring them went on well. “Majority of teachers wanted Pay Revision Committee arrears to be paid first, so we have sent those bills first, followed by July salary bill to LF Audit and have got cleared. August Bills would be sent on Monday and payment ensured at the earliest,” he said.
The GVMC had spent Rs.88 lakh from General Funds for payment of June salaries of the teachers and later when the amount came from State Government, it adjusted, he observed.
If bills were prepared by all schools in time, they could be sent to LF Audit on time, then to Treasury and on getting them back at GVMC payment could be ensured between First and Fifth of every month, he asserted.