Sinhgad School Staff Stage Protest Over Three Years of Unpaid Salaries in Pune
Teachers and non-teaching staff at Sinhgad Spring Dale Public School in Ambegaon, Pune, staged a protest outside the school premises on Tuesday, demanding payment of salaries pending for multiple months. This protest follows a similar demonstration held last week, which was later joined by parents after the school's abrupt closure.
Widespread Salary Delays Across Sinhgad Institutes
Sachin Shinde, a member of the Sinhgad Institution's Coordination Committee, revealed that approximately 6,000 employees across various institutes under the Sinhgad group have not received their salaries for about 36 months. These institutes include engineering colleges, dental colleges, primary schools, and secondary schools.
"Despite continuous academic work, examinations, accreditation responsibilities, and compliance duties, the management has failed to release our legitimately earned salaries," Shinde stated. He explained that around 20 months of salary from the Covid-19 pandemic period and an additional 16 months since 2024 remain unpaid.
Staff Struggles and Management Promises
Shinde added that the management occasionally credited basic pay or partial salaries every two to three months, which kept staff hopeful that all dues would be cleared. "However, after repeated follow-ups and failed promises, we had no choice but to protest," he emphasized.
A bus driver from Sinhgad Spring Dale School, who requested anonymity, shared his plight: "We have not received our salaries for the last 15 months. Not a single rupee of basic pay, academic grade pay, or statutory dues has been paid during this entire period."
He described the situation as unbearable, with many staff members struggling to survive in Pune's costly environment, facing severe financial crises and emotional distress.
Unaddressed Grievances and Alleged Threats
The bus driver mentioned that several complaints have been filed with authorities, including:
- Directorate of Technical Education
- All India Council for Technical Education
- Savitribai Phule Pune University
- Pune's Labour Department
Despite these efforts, no effective action has been taken. Shinde further alleged that instead of resolving the issue, the Sinhgad institution management is threatening teachers and non-teaching staff with termination without clearing their dues.
"So we demand that the Chief Minister, the Education Minister, Charity Commissioner, and the CBSE board intervene and resolve the matter, and the government may take over the control," he asserted.
Parents Join the Protest
A parent of a Class 9 student at Spring Dale School expressed frustration: "We have paid the entire academic fees of around Rs 47,000, in addition to the Rs 15,000 bus fee. Even after paying hard-earned money, the school closed abruptly due to the administration's gross negligence."
The parent explained that the administration initially cited the Pune Grand Tour event as the reason for closure, but bus drivers and attendants began protesting, followed by teachers. "We had no choice but to support them for a secure future for our children," the parent added, demanding that management pay all dues so staff can return to work and students' education is not compromised.
Administration's Assurance and Broader Context
Late Tuesday evening, parents received a message from the administration assuring them that the school would resume regular functioning and that teaching and non-teaching staff would receive their pending salaries. The management also promised that such issues would not recur.
This salary crisis occurs against a backdrop of financial troubles for the Sinhgad Educational Institute. In March last year, the Pune Municipal Corporation seized 49 properties of the institute over property tax dues exceeding Rs 200 crore, pending for several years.
State School Education Minister Dada Bhuse told reporters on Tuesday night that the department would look into the issue with Sinhgad Institutes. Attempts to contact M N Navale, founder-president of the Pune-based Sinhgad Technical Education Society, for comment were unsuccessful.
