Teachers’ cases to be examined

Panaji: The state cabinet on Wednesday granted approval to constitute a special pension cell to examine and verify the details of prematurely retired government employees.

Briefing the media, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the cabinet has approved the proposal to constitute a separate pension cell to verify the cases of teachers who had to retire prematurely at the age of 58 in 2005.

The cases will be examined so that such prematurely retired staff is compensated

as per the directives of the High Court of Bombay at Goa, he said.

Following the high court order, the directorate of education has asked all the government schools and government-aided schools to examine and verify the details of such prematurely retired teachers with regard to the revision of their pension.

As per the then government’s decision, the teachers were made to retire early at the age of 58 instead of 60 in 2005. The order was later 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, which in September last year, ruled in their favour.

Meanwhile, in view of the high court order, the state government has dissolved the committee constituted to examine/scrutinise the representations received from the prematurely retired pensioners.

Sawant also informed that the cabinet has granted approval to transfer government land in Quepem for setting up of four mobile towers.

The cabinet also decided to issue work order for construction of Goa Haat project, a dedicated marketplace for Goan artisans.