HC asks BMC to frame policy offering incentives to asst. profs

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to frame and implement a policy to offer incentives to assistant professors serving in its medical colleges and hospitals.

A bench of Justices SC Dharmadhikari and Bharati Dangre were recently hearing a petition filed by the Medical Professor’s Welfare Association seeking, among other things, time-bound promotions, and better career progression.

The bench’s directions came after the counsel for the BMC submitted that it wasn’t opposed to introducing incentives for assistant medical professors employed in its various hospitals and medical colleges, and that if the Maharashtra government introduced such a policy, it would willingly implement the same for the benefit of petitioners.

In an affidavit submitted in HC, BMC stated that if the Maharashtra government was planning to implement a scheme or policy granting incentives to medical employees, and in case such scheme did not have adequate promotional avenues for the assistant medical professors, then in that case, it was willing to frame an implement a policy of its own.

The bench however, noted that nothing prevented the Corporation from framing its own policy without waiting for the state’s policy.

“At more places than one, this affidavit says that if the Government of Maharashtra has introduced or is implementing any Policy/scheme so as to grant an incentive or Dynamic Assured Career Progression Scheme, and in the event that promotional avenues are not available, then the Municipal Corporation will frame and implement it,” the bench said.

“This means that even if the Assistant Professors in the Corporation’s medical institutions are stagnating, the BMC will keep waiting for the state’s decision,” it said.

“Let the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Health) of the BMC frame a scheme and implement it for its own Assistant Professors in its Medical Institutions because it is nobody’s case that the MCGM has to wait for the State’s decision,” the bench said.

It also said that once the Corporation formed such a scheme, the court will ensure that state government does not obstruct its implementation in any way.

“We expect the state government to play a positive role and not obstruct the implementation of such scheme,” the bench said.

It also said that the state should take cue, and consider granting incentives and benefits in all its departments to “promote efficiency,” and encourage “honest” and “diligent” workers.

“The state should take cue and consider granting such incentives and benefits that will promote efficiency among its staff and encourage those who are working honestly and diligently, to put in extra hours or exert themselves more for better results,” the bench said.