Mumbai: In another setback for teachers who have been demanding salaries, the state education ministry claimed some of the teachers are appointed illegally.

Ashish Shelar, state education minister of school and higher secondary education claimed teachers who have been appointed illegally will not receive their salaries.

Since the last several years, teachers of both aided and unaided schools have been fighting claiming the state has not been paid their due salaries. Shelar revealed,

“Some of the teachers are appointed without completing mandatory procedures, interviews, documents and examinations. These teaches cannot be paid their salaries as they have been appointed illegally.”

Shelar blamed the governance of the Congress for the last several years for these illegal appointments. “In the long years of the Congress reign, many political leaders sanctioned appointments of teachers in their own constituencies. But these approvals are not legal. How can we provide remuneration to these teachers?”

Recently on Teacher’s Day, over 4,000 teachers staged a protest at Azad Maidan claiming the state government has not fulfilled its promise to provide 20 per cent aid for private unaided schools. In addition, teachers of state-run schools have been protesting demanding pending salaries, dues and pension plans.

Teachers claim the state government should start an investigation instead of passing a general accusation. Jayant Verma, a teacher, said, “Not all teachers have been appointed illegally.

How can the state accuse teachers without displaying valid proof? Some of us have been fighting for our salaries since last four years.” While Firoz Amir, a teacher said, “The state should suspend those teachers who have been appointed illegally. All of us are suffering because of few.”