Both BJP, Cong corporators oppose transfer of surplus NMC teachers

Nagpur: After delay of over six years, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has started the process to transfer its surplus teachers to the state education department. The move has evoked strong opposition from teachers and corporators of ruling party BJP as well as opposition group Congress. Only chairman of NMC education consultative committee Dilip Diwe, who is from the BJP, has supported the decision.
Taking serious cognisance of over Rs20 crore per annum loss to the cash-strapped NMC, municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe had directed education department to prepare a list of surplus teachers and transfer them to state education department. NMC has over 366 surplus teachers for last over six years, but the department has been paying them full salary for reasons known only to it.
As per Mundhe’s directives, NMC education officer Priti Mishrikotkar issued a notice declaring names of 315 surplus teachers on Monday. She invited suggestions and objections from the names appearing in the list by Tuesday.
The department declared the junior-most teachers as surplus from three mediums of primary schools and higher primary schools. Some 255 teachers from Marathi medium, 33 from Hindi, 8 from Urdu mediums from primary schools, and 19 from higher primary schools are in the list.
Some 11 teachers, whose name were displayed in the list, registered objections claiming they were not in the surplus category.
On behalf of the teachers, Nagpur Mahanagarpalika Shikshak Sangh registered strong objections with Mundhe. “On one hand, NMC recruited 55 teachers on hourly basis and on the other it is declaring permanent teachers as surplus. It is unjust towards teachers. Many posts of headmasters in higher primary are vacant. NMC general body in 2015 had passed a resolution to open Balwadis and transfer excess teachers of primary schools to Balwadi. But NMC has done nothing and now declared teachers as surplus,” the union said.
President Rajesh Gavre said it was also unjust towards teachers to give only 24 hours for suggestions and objections. He requested the civic chief to give at least 15 days time.
NMC has also started the process to establish six English medium schools and recruit teachers on contractual basis for these schools.
On Gavre’s objections, Diwe said, “NMC does not have teachers for science, mathematics and English, so we are taking them on contractual basis. Teachers specialized in one subject cannot be transferred to another subject. How can we ask a teacher with graduation and teaching degree in arts to teach mathematics,” he questioned.
Diwe added the committee led by him had decided to send surplus teachers to state 18 months ago but the decision was not implemented. “Teachers should be prepared to take transfer out of NMC,” he said.
Opposing the move, BJP senior corporator Dayashankar Tiwari said surplus teachers should be adjusted in vacant posts in other departments in NMC. “Many posts in NMC are vacant and suitable for teachers,” he said.
Congress corporator Praful Gudadhe too opposed the move and said it appears to be a way to close down NMC-run schools. “It is NMC’s responsibility to provide primary education. NMC should promote and improve quality of NMC schools. The decision will also result in closure of some schools which are running with only a few students. It is the right of each and every children to get education from NMC in his/her area itself. NMC should not move children to other schools,” he said.