'Teachers will be paid by first day of every month', says chairman

This is what chief of Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank is saying, even as hundreds of teachers did not receive their salary after refusing to transfer accounts to his bank

Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank Limited

Payday has come and gone, but the salary accounts of teachers and other school staff remain empty. As mid-day had reported earlier, as many as 27,000 teachers, along with non-teaching staff, are not getting their salary for July because they are against a state government resolution insisting that they transfer their bank account to Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank.

Pravin Darekar

Solicitation calls
Now, schools are allegedly getting calls from the bank and from education department officials asking them to open accounts for their staff.

Janardan Jangle, president of the Teachers Democratic Front (TDF), said, "All those staffers who have approached us with such cases have also got recordings on their mobile handsets."

Not only is it against the law to compel anyone to open an account, but this particular bank is inconvenient for many teachers. "Many travel from Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan, Ambernath and beyond, and this bank only has branches within Mumbai limits. Also, they do not have net banking facilities and even the number of ATMs operated by them is minimal, as compared to nationalised banks."

Also read: Mumbai: Penniless July for 27k teachers as bank a/c fight intensifies

TDF has already moved a writ petition in the Bombay High Court, and the matter is up for hearing on August 7.

The other side
Pravin Darekar, affiliated to BJP and also chairman of Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank Limited, rubbished the claims made by the teachers. He denied that any bank staffer was calling the schools and insisting on opening bank accounts.

"The teachers are being brainwashed by certain people who have vested interests and they are missing out on their salary, as they haven't opened accounts with Mumbai Bank, as per the state government directives. How is the bank or government responsible?" he asked.

Also read: Mumbai: No pay, no gain for SSC examiners

Darekar claims that around 19,000, teachers and non-teaching staff have already opened accounts with the bank. "Salary has also been deposited into the accounts of around 8,000 staffers by July end," he claimed.

He further added, "Around 350 teachers and non-teaching staff have transferred their existing loans from Union Bank of India to Mumbai Bank and we have brought down the rate of interest to 9.5 per cent instead of the 11.5 percent that was being charged by the nationalized bank. Also, Mumbai Bank is giving an overdraft facility up to Rs 2 lakh to teachers/non teaching staff on their salary account."

Responding to allegations that the bank's finances are compromised, Darekar said, "The bank has a sound balance sheet, with a net worth of Rs 216 crore and profit of Rs 13.01 crore as on March 31, 2017. Mumbai Bank falls in the A category in audits by RBI, NABARD and the Cooperative Department of the state government."

Free use of other ATMs
When asked about the inconvenience of use for teachers living outside Mumbai limits, Darekar said, "The bank has 53 branches and four extension counters and it is on CBS platform. Also the bank is giving free facilities such as RTGS, NEFT, SMS, and email, as well as five ATM transactions at other ATMs and free chequebooks and pay orders."

"Additional ATMs will come up across the city soon. We may even do away with the 5 ATM swipes per month, passing a special resolution in the board to allow unlimited free swipes for them. Also, we have applied to RBI seeking permission to start net banking facility, which will be done a shortly," he added.

Also read: Mumbai University results may be delayed as teachers struggle with new system

On why the government was insisting upon opening accounts with the bank, Darekar simply said this was a question for the government.

'Here to serve'
"Mumbai bank has no criminal case against it and even the court has set aside the petition filed against the corruption charges. We have no cases. I am here to ensure that the teachers will be paid by first day of every month and ensure that they face no difficulty in operating their accounts or find any flaw in our bank service. If I fail to serve them better, I will resign from my post as the chairman of Mumbai Bank," said Darekar.

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