TMC RS MP criticises govt for not providing pensions to 1,400 retired KV teachers

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP and senior Trinamool leader Manas Bhunia raised the pension-related issue of retired Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) teachers who are not getting pensions 'inspite of repeated appeals'.

Bhunia said, attacking the government that on one side it has announced a pension scheme for shopkeepers or businessmen, but on the other side around 1,400 retired KV teachers are not getting pensions, which is their fundamental right. The centre is not addressing this issue. "1,400 teachers and staff of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, who joined before January 1, 1986, are not getting a pension... Many of them are suffering from life-threatening diseases, poverty, neuralgia etc. in spite of their dedicated service," he mentioned.

KVS follows the CCS pay rules of 1972 and CPF rules of 1962. The Government of India vides their memo number 4187P ICI dated May 1, 1987, had given a cutoff date of September 30, 1987, to the employees for exercising their options in case they desired to continue to be governed by the CPF scheme. In case no such option was exercised by the deadline, all the employees were deemed to have come to CPF scheme of GoI. It was also made clear that no extension for exercising option for continuing in the CPF scheme will be admissible as per the Government rules from October 1, 1987.

He further alleged that the employees were completely in the dark about this. No one had submitted an option before the deadline. All employees were deemed to be covered in the CPF pension scheme.

Bhunia further claimed that apart from the apex court, courts of Madras, Jodhpur, Delhi and Central Administrative Tribunals gave

the order for grant of pension to some teachers who came to them for justice.

While teachers who won their cases are getting pension, the others are not.