Despite Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) position as one of the wealthiest municipal corporation in Maharashtra, hourly-paid "Tasika" teachers in municipal schools were excluded from the Diwali Sanugrah (bonus grant), which was issued to permanent, contractual, fixed-salary, and transport department employees. Labour leader and Maharashtra Karmchari Union President, Ravindra Sawant, condemned the administration's decision, warning that these teachers now face financial hardship during the Diwali festivities due to the lack of support.

In his written appeal to the Municipal Commissioner and Transport Manager, Sawant had previously called for the inclusion of all employees, including hourly teachers, in the Diwali bonus distribution. This appeal was submitted ahead of the impending code of conduct for the assembly general elections. Sawant also took the matter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who issued directives supporting a bonus for all teachers. Subsequently, grants were provided to other categories of employees before the code of conduct began. However, hourly teachers were not included, leaving them without the much-anticipated Diwali grant.

Hourly teachers, many of whom have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and possess teaching experience, are typically hired at significantly lower wages. Sawant highlighted the disparity between their pay and the higher salaries—up to Rs.35,000 to Rs.40,000—paid to teachers employed by private institutions running municipal schools, often with unclear TET certification status.

Sawant stressed that a Diwali bonus is a fair right for all employees and urged the municipal administration to prioritize Tasika teachers, asserting, “Sanugrah Grant is everyone’s right during Diwali. If there is no provision for it, one should be made.” He demanded that the municipal administration announce the welfare grant for these teachers, enabling them to enjoy the festival without financial strain.

Though Chief Minister Shinde had announced that no Tasika teacher would be left out of the Diwali grant, the municipal administration has yet to implement his directive, leading Sawant to question whether the administration views itself as “above the Chief Minister.”