Nagpur ZP retired teachers accuse authorities of delaying pensions
Maharashtra State Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme
, 1982, for over five years. The scheme, which was implemented in 1990 for ZP employees and teachers, has become a point of contention due to sudden demands for arrears with compound interest.The scheme classifies employees into four groups (A to D) based on their pay scales, with monthly deductions ranging from ₹30 to ₹480.
Despite regular deductions from 1990 to 2025 for various teaching positions, the ZP has failed to release the final insurance payouts to hundreds of retired educators, claimed a teachers' association."The situation worsened when the ZP's chief accounts and finance officer instructed block education officers across 13 panchayat samitis to recover arrears from retired teachers, including 12% compound interest calculated over 25 to 30 years. The amounts being demanded range from ₹4,000 to ₹50,000, causing distress among retirees," said Sharad Bhandarkar, general secretary of the MNS Shikshak Shikshak Sangh.He questioned how such an oversight could occur over three decades, especially when salary processing was done through computerized systems with proper departmental approvals. Bhandarkar also claimed that around 400 retired teachers are awaiting gratuity and pension payments totaling approximately ₹60 crore.The affected teachers are demanding an investigation into the ZP's administrative departments. Bhandarkar has called for verification of actual records before calculating arrears and suggested adjusting legitimate dues from insurance payouts without applying interest. He also warned that protests would be launched if their demands were not addressed promptly.
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Sant Namdev connnect: Maharashtra politicians write Punjab CM Mann, seek ‘holy place' status for Gurdaspur's Ghoman
1 2 3 4 5 6 Chandigarh: At least two prominent politicians from Maharashtra and a Pune-based NGO, Sarhad, which boasts of working to strengthen the cultural and historical bond between Maharashtra and Punjab, have written to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking holy place status for Ghoman village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This is where Maharashtra-born medieval-era poet, saint, and a prominent figure of the Bhakti movement, Sant Namdev, is believed to have spent the final years of his life. What makes the late saint's association with Punjab even more special is that his 61 hymns (shabads) are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a 'living Guru' in Sikhism. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder president and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, in a span of less than five months, wrote twice to CM Mann, requesting the latter to grant holy place status to Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Currently, Ghoman houses Shri Namdev Darbar, where devotees pray at the 'samadhi' of the late saint. "As you may recall, Ghuman (read Ghoman) holds significant cultural and spiritual importance due to its association with Bhagat Namdev Ji. Given its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature, I request you to look into the matter favourably and expeditiously," Pawar wrote in a letter to CM Mann on July 29, a copy of which is with TOI, as he pointed out the same request made in a preceding letter on March 11. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Health and comfort: the comfiest slip-on shoes of the year Ultra-Comfortable Shoes Undo On March 11, Pawar wrote, "I am forwarding a letter regarding a request that I have been personally associated with and which is very close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Sant Namdev Ji holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra, as well as Punjab, where Bhagat Namdev Ji's shabads are revered in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. His spiritual contributions created a lasting bond between the two states. " Referring to the literary congregation held in 2015, Pawar further pointed out, "During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Ghuman (Ghoman), we proposed declaring the village as a holy place, marking its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature. This historic event further highlighted Ghuman's spiritual legacy and its deep-rooted cultural relevance. " Pawar further wrote, "As per my knowledge, more than 50,000 devotees from Maharashtra and the rest of India visited Sant Namdev's Ghuman last year alone. This clearly reflects the spiritual influence of Sant Namdev Ji's teachings and the deep connection he holds with the hearts and minds of people across India." Pawar's letter to CM Mann further read, "I earnestly request you to personally look into this matter and take the necessary steps to grant holy place status to Ghuman (Ghoman). Your esteemed leadership and vision can help in preserving and further enhancing this sacred site." Sarhad Pune founder president Sanjay Nahar said over the phone that "After writing the letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Sharad Pawar also spoke to (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal to seek holy place status for Ghoman." Sarhad Pune, while raising the demand in a letter to Punjab CM on March 11, highlighted that "the village holds immense spiritual and cultural significance due to the long stay of Sant Namdev, whose 61 verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib." It added that the people of Punjab believe that Ghoman "is also the resting place of Bhagat Namdev Ji." Sarhad Pune noted that "over the past decade, lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra have visited Ghuman, with thousands choosing to stay there for extended periods." While demanding holy place status for Ghoman, Sanjay Nahar said, "The govt of Maharashtra has expressed its willingness to contribute wherever necessary. Elevating Ghuman to this status will not only honour its sacred heritage but also generate employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the surrounding areas." On May 14, former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also one of the patrons of Sarhad Pune, also wrote a letter to Punjab CM requesting the holy place status for Ghoman. Shinde wrote, "The emotional appeal to grant Ghuman (read Ghoman), the sacred place where Sant Namdev Maharaj dedicated his later years, the status of a national holy site is close to my heart and to millions of devotees in Maharashtra. As Union minister, I personally took up this issue and wrote to the Prime Minister in 2011, urging for Ghuman's (Ghoman's) recognition as a site of national spiritual importance. " Shinde further wrote, "Since then, senior leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar Ji, have supported the demand and written to your esteemed office." Shinde pointed out, "Sant Namdev Maharaj is not just a saint of Maharashtra or Punjab — he is a national spiritual icon whose teachings continue to resonate across generations." According to Shri Namdev Darbar committee joint secretary Sarabjit Singh Bawa, "It is believed that Bhagat Namdev founded Ghoman and meditated here for 18 years." Bawa said devotees heading to Mata Vaishno Devi from Maharashtra often make a stop at Ghoman either while going to Vaishno Devi or on their return. "There is a serai and a big hall for accommodation." "For the past couple of years, devotees have been flocking to Ghoman on cycles from Pandharpur of Maharashtra in batches of a hundred or more," he added. Former Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, a veteran politician from Maharashtra, Bawa said, in his capacity as governor, gave Rs 1 crore, of Rs 2 crore cost, for the construction of the serai. During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ghoman, then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced to set up a govt degree college dedicated to Bhagat Namdev and a chair at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). While a constituency college of the GNDU, Baba Namdev University College, was set up in nearby Kishankot the next year, the chair at GNDU remained a non-starter even as it emerged it was reportedly first set up in 1997 and remained defunct. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who attended the inaugural function of the Sammelan, announced the construction of a 157-km-long four-lane cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda, and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore under the national highways project. According to Bawa, "In ten years, of the announced road project, only part of the stretch that was completed is from Amritsar to Mehta. " Nahar said that devotees from Maharashtra believe that Namdev breathed his last in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, but those from Punjab believe that he took 'samaadhi' in Ghoman. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Demand to grant holy place status to Ghoman grows
1 2 Chandigarh: At least two prominent politicians from Maharashtra and a Pune-based NGO, Sarhad, which boasts of working to strengthen the cultural and historical bond between Maharashtra and Punjab, have written to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking holy place status for Ghoman village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This is where Maharashtra-born medieval-era poet, saint, and a prominent figure of the Bhakti movement, Sant Namdev, is believed to have spent the final years of his life. What makes the late saint's association with Punjab even more special is that his 61 hymns (shabads) are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a 'living Guru' in Sikhism. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder president and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, in a span of less than five months, wrote twice to CM Mann, requesting the latter to grant holy place status to Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Currently, Ghoman houses Shri Namdev Darbar, where devotees pray at the 'samadhi' of the late saint. "As you may recall, Ghuman (read Ghoman) holds significant cultural and spiritual importance due to its association with Bhagat Namdev Ji. Given its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature, I request you to look into the matter favourably and expeditiously," Pawar wrote in a letter to CM Mann on July 29, a copy of which is with TOI, as he pointed out the same request made in a preceding letter on March 11. On March 11, Pawar wrote, "I am forwarding a letter regarding a request that I have been personally associated with and which is very close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Sant Namdev Ji holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra, as well as Punjab, where Bhagat Namdev Ji's shabads are revered in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. His spiritual contributions created a lasting bond between the two states. " Referring to the literary congregation held in 2015, Pawar further pointed out, "During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Ghuman (Ghoman), we proposed declaring the village as a holy place, marking its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature. This historic event further highlighted Ghuman's spiritual legacy and its deep-rooted cultural relevance. " Pawar further wrote, "As per my knowledge, more than 50,000 devotees from Maharashtra and the rest of India visited Sant Namdev's Ghuman last year alone. This clearly reflects the spiritual influence of Sant Namdev Ji's teachings and the deep connection he holds with the hearts and minds of people across India." Pawar's letter to CM Mann further read, "I earnestly request you to personally look into this matter and take the necessary steps to grant holy place status to Ghuman (Ghoman). Your esteemed leadership and vision can help in preserving and further enhancing this sacred site." Sarhad Pune founder president Sanjay Nahar said over the phone that "After writing the letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Sharad Pawar also spoke to (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal to seek holy place status for Ghoman." Sarhad Pune, while raising the demand in a letter to Punjab CM on March 11, highlighted that "the village holds immense spiritual and cultural significance due to the long stay of Sant Namdev, whose 61 verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib." It added that the people of Punjab believe that Ghoman "is also the resting place of Bhagat Namdev Ji." Sarhad Pune noted that "over the past decade, lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra have visited Ghuman, with thousands choosing to stay there for extended periods." While demanding holy place status for Ghoman, Sanjay Nahar said, "The govt of Maharashtra has expressed its willingness to contribute wherever necessary. Elevating Ghuman to this status will not only honour its sacred heritage but also generate employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the surrounding areas." On May 14, former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also one of the patrons of Sarhad Pune, also wrote a letter to Punjab CM requesting the holy place status for Ghoman. Shinde wrote, "The emotional appeal to grant Ghuman (read Ghoman), the sacred place where Sant Namdev Maharaj dedicated his later years, the status of a national holy site is close to my heart and to millions of devotees in Maharashtra. As Union minister, I personally took up this issue and wrote to the Prime Minister in 2011, urging for Ghuman's (Ghoman's) recognition as a site of national spiritual importance. " Shinde further wrote, "Since then, senior leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar Ji, have supported the demand and written to your esteemed office." Shinde pointed out, "Sant Namdev Maharaj is not just a saint of Maharashtra or Punjab — he is a national spiritual icon whose teachings continue to resonate across generations." According to Shri Namdev Darbar committee joint secretary Sarabjit Singh Bawa, "It is believed that Bhagat Namdev founded Ghoman and meditated here for 18 years." Bawa said devotees heading to Mata Vaishno Devi from Maharashtra often make a stop at Ghoman either while going to Vaishno Devi or on their return. "There is a serai and a big hall for accommodation." "For the past couple of years, devotees have been flocking to Ghoman on cycles from Pandharpur of Maharashtra in batches of a hundred or more," he added. Former Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, a veteran politician from Maharashtra, Bawa said, in his capacity as governor, gave Rs 1 crore, of Rs 2 crore cost, for the construction of the serai. During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ghoman, then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced to set up a govt degree college dedicated to Bhagat Namdev and a chair at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). While a constituency college of the GNDU, Baba Namdev University College, was set up in nearby Kishankot the next year, the chair at GNDU remained a non-starter even as it emerged it was reportedly first set up in 1997 and remained defunct. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who attended the inaugural function of the Sammelan, announced the construction of a 157-km-long four-lane cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda, and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore under the national highways project. According to Bawa, "In ten years, of the announced road project, only part of the stretch that was completed is from Amritsar to Mehta. " Nahar said that devotees from Maharashtra believe that Namdev breathed his last in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, but those from Punjab believe that he took 'samaadhi' in Ghoman. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Call for removal of liquor belt shops near residential areas lodged at PGRS in Eluru
Calls for the removal of liquor belt shops near residential areas took centre stage at the district-level Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) programme at Eluru Collectorate on Monday. District Collector K. Vetri Selvi, who chaired the meeting, directed officials to address the petitions and all public grievances promptly, warning that negligence would not be tolerated. Vadlapati Venkateswara Rao of Kowvali in Denduluru mandal was among the petitioners, urging authorities to shut down liquor outlets operating close to homes, citing public nuisance and safety concerns. Other petitions included requests from Chintalapudi mandal, where Dasari Suresh Kumar of Yandapalli sought guidance to set up a food processing centre to generate local employment. Meanwhile, Pindi Elisha of P. Kannapuram in Dwarakatirumala mandal asked for correction of land records and issuance of a pattadar passbook. Vanarasi Lakshmi Rajyam from Kamavarapukota mandal complained of encroachment blocking access to her agricultural land and in Vara Venkateswara Rao from Jeelugumilli mandal sought enhanced compensation after losing part of his house to a road-widening project. In total, 268 petitions were received from across the district during the session, attended by Joint Collector P. Dhatri Reddy, District Revenue Officer V. Visweshwar Rao, RDO M. Achyutha Ambareesh, Sub-Collector K. Bhaskar, ZP CEO M. Srihari, DRDA PD R. Vijaya Raju, SC Corporation ED M. Mukkanti, Survey AD Ansari, and Municipal Commissioner Bhanu Pratap. The Collector instructed the officials to be fully conversant with the grievance redressal portal and to conduct on-the-spot inspections when needed. She emphasised that complaints should be resolved at the mandal and divisional levels, with final approvals and closures handled by district-level authorities to ensure quality outcomes. Petitions must be settled in such a way that they do not require reopening, she added.
