Jajpur: As many as 700 teachers retired several years ago are still deprived of pension allegedly due to negligence of the School and Mass Education department and litigation against some teachers, a report said. According to the report, 700 teachers in 30 districts have not received their pension from 2015 to 2022. Sundargarh and Cuttack districts have the highest number of 98 such teachers.
This was revealed in a letter issued by the deputy director of the directorate of elementary education (DEE) in response to an order issued by the additional secretary of the School and Mass Education department. MLA Sanjib Kumar Mallick had raised a question in this regard in the Assembly.
As per the report, 15 teachers were retired in 2015; 37 in 2016; 75 in 2017; 115 in 2018; 174 in 2019 and 284 in 2020. But their full pension has not been sanctioned. During the six-year period, seven teachers in Angul, eight in Balasore, 28 in Bargarh, four in Bhadrak, 11 in Bolangir, five in Boudh, 98 in Cuttack, six in Deogarh, five in Dhenkanal, 22 in Gajapati, 69 in Ganjam, four in Jagatsinghpur, 41 in Jajpur, 38 in Jharsuguda, 34 in Kalahandi, 13 in Kandhamal, 22 in Kendrapara, 37 in Keonjhar, 19 in Khurdha, one in Koraput, four in Malkangiri, 21 in Mayurbhanj, 34 in Nabarangpur, 17 in Nayagarh, 22 in Nuapada, 12 in Puri, nine in Rayagada, eight in Sambalpur, two in Subarnapur and 98 in Sundargarh have been waiting for their pension.
Litigation in some cases and departmental negligence in some others are stated to be the reasons behind the delay. However, the DEE has directed the teachers concerned to communicate with respective block education officers (BEOs) to sort out their issues.