MUMBAI, February 5: The fund-starved Education Department seems to have made extortion almost official by directing headmasters and teachers of all aided educational institutions in the State to contribute ``generously'' towards the Small Savings Scheme (SSS). And though it maintains that the scheme is voluntary, the fact that it has fixed minimum limits on these contributions makes it sound a bit coercive. Add blocked salaries to this and the teachers have a strong reason to feel intimidated.The Deputy Director of Education GB Thakur however begs to differ. Stressing that there is no compulsion and contributions are voluntary. But, at least a dozen headmasters and teachers told The Indian Express that some officials of the Education Department have threatened to block their salary if they do not contribute to the scheme.``The salary bills of those teachers, who did not contribute, were withheld by the Department without assigning any reason,'' a senior teacher said, on condition ofanonymity.Recently, in a comprehensive circular, the Education Officer of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Education Inspectors of South, North and West Mumbai areas and principals, headmasters, teachers and employees of aided educational institutions were asked to contribute generously towards the scheme.While the Education Department's total target is Rs 125 crore, the Education Inspectors in South, North and West have been asked to pool in Rs 13.25 crore, 14.25 crore and Rs 15.25 crore respectively.The Department has asked Class I officials and headmasters to contribute at least Rs 10,000, while Class II officials, assistant headmasters, administrative officers, and high school teachers have been asked to pay at least Rs 7,000. Class III officials, assistant teachers, superintendents and clerks have been told to contribute Rs 5,000 and class IV staff Rs 2,000. The Department has also appealed to primary and secondary school teachers to contribute Rs 100 each to the scheme.Denying theallegations, Thakur claimed that the Department had issued a general appeal to headmasters and teachers of aided educational institutions. ``We have not forced any one to contribute for the scheme. It is an appeal to contribute for a national cause,'' Thakur told The Indian Express.He said in the past also the Department had appealed to the members of the teaching community to buy Indira Vikas Patra and Kisan Vikas Patra as the amount collected from these schemes were to be utilised for developmental programmes.On withholding of salary bills, Thakur said the Department had only sought information on contribution to the scheme while releasing salary bills.On the eve of the golden jubilee celebrations of the country's Independence, the Shiv Sena-BJP Government had announced an ambitious plan to garner Rs 10,000 crore under the scheme. Accordingly, the Gold Jubilee Small Savings Scheme was launched by Prime Minister IK Gujral at the August Kranti Maidan on August 9.
