More than 62,000 teachers and employees who have retired from non-government educational institutions across the country are now going through tough time due to long delay in getting their retirement benefits.
In their desperate bid to receive their retirement benefits, these teachers and employees are frequenting the offices of Non-government Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust (NGTEWT) and Non-Government Employee Retirement Benefits Board (NGERBB).
Many teachers have alleged that they are leading a miserable life for lack of money after they went on retirement, but the authorities concerned are not paying due attention to the matter.
The authorities, however, said they are trying their best to provide the teachers and employees with retirement benefits in time, but fail due to fund crunch.
Education Ministry sources said there are around five lakh teachers and employees at 32,000 monthly pay order (MPO)-listed educational institutions across the country.
According to the rules, 4 per cent of basic salary of MPO-listed teachers and employees is deducted for the welfare fund while another 6 per cent is collected for the retirement benefits board.
Some 800 applications are submitted by the teachers for retirement and welfare benefits every month. But the money deducted from the salaries of teachers and employees every month is not enough to settle all the applications.
The government contributes a portion of money to the welfare and retirement funds for eligible retirees of MPO-listed educational institutions. But the number of pending applications is increasing as the government is not providing the money regularly, sources said.
According to them, around 62,000 applications for retirement benefits are pending with NGERBB and NGTEWT.
Of them, around 24,000 applications have been pending with NGTEWT. The teachers and employees who applied for the welfare trust benefits after May 2021 are yet to get their money.
Besides, 38,000 applications are pending with NGERBB as the teachers and employees who applied for retirement benefits after March 2020 are yet to get the money.
The retired teachers and employees said they are failing to receive retirement benefits even two-three years after filing applications. Even a number of retired teachers waiting for retirement benefits died before getting the benefits due to unusual delay.
Officials said about Tk 90 crore is required for providing retirement benefits to about 800 teachers and employees who retired every month, but NGERBB got Tk 65 crore from the teachers and employees through a deduction of 6 per cent of their basic salaries every month. So, there is a deficit of about Tk 25 crore.
There is a need of Tk 1,080 crore against around 9,600 applications received by NGERBB every year. But it got Tk 680 crore from teachers and employees and there is a deficit of Tk 300 crore.
Officials also said at present, around Tk 4,000 crore government’s one-time allocation is required to dispose of 38,000 applications under NGERBB.
Teachers and employees contribute 4 per cent of their basic salaries every month to the welfare trust (NGTEWT). About 24,000 applications are still pending at NGTEWT where Tk 2,000 crore is required to settle all the pending applications.
NGERBB Secretary General Sharif Ahmed Sadi said, “The government is allocating some money in every year’s budget for the retirement benefits of the teachers.”
“As many teachers and employees are going on retirement every year, we can’t provide expected services for retried teachers and employees due to fund crisis.”
There is a need a one-time allocation of a big amount to settle all the pending applications, he said. “We have sought an allocation of Tk 1,000 crore in the next budget. If we get, it will be possible to pay retirement benefits of many teachers and pending applications will be reduced.”
It was learnt that currently, Tk 660 crore is deposited as seed money in Retirement Benefits Board, but there is no opportunity to hand over the money. But its dividend can be used to provide retirement benefits.
The Education Ministry has also allocated money for the retirement board in the next fiscal year but most of the money will be given as seed money. As a result, dues of the teachers cannot be paid with that money.
NGTEWT Member Secretary Principal Md. Shahjahan Alam Saju said, “We get Tk 40 crore to Tk 42 crore every month from the contribution of the teachers in the fund but we need Tk 52 crore to Tk 54 crore to settle the applications every month.”
“So, there is a deficit of Tk 120 crore to 130 crore per year. As a result, many teachers' applications are pending. We will receive a special allocation for the welfare trust in the coming FY. If we get the money, it will be possible to pay dues to many teachers,” he said.
Stakeholders said the government is mulling introducing universal pension from the next fiscal year. However, since government officials and employees already get pensions, they will not be covered under this scheme. But the MPO-listed teachers do not get pension. They get one-time retirement and welfare benefits at the end of service.
Now the teachers have demanded introduction of a pension system for them under the retirement board and welfare trust authority.
The government constituted the Welfare Trust for Teachers and Employees of Non-Government Educational Institutions in 1990, but its operation remained stalled from 1991 to 1996.
Later, the then Awami League-led government resumed the activities of the Welfare Trust and started providing retirement benefits for non-government teachers and employees in 1997.
However, the BNP-led government formed the Non-Government Employee Retirement Benefits Board in 2002 to pay retirement benefits to teachers and employees.
