Bihar teachers to get paid by March 31 for non-strike period

Nearly four lakh Bihar primary and middle school teachers are on strike since February 17, while the secondary and higher secondary teachers joined in from February 25 in support of their demand of ‘equal pay for equal work’ and proper service conditions.

The Bihar government Saturday ordered payment of salary to all the teachers (from Class 1 to 12) for the non-strike period and send a compliance report to the directors of primary and secondary education by March 31 evening.

Teachers on strike locked the gate of Bankipore Girls' High School near Gandhi Maidan to stage protest in Patna. (HT File)

In a letter to all the district education officers (DEOs) and district programme officers (DPOs), the additional chief secretary RK Mahajan stated that under the extra-ordinary situation due to the lockdown in view of Coronavirus outbreak and end of the financial year, the payment should be ensured for January.

“As most of the teachers had gone on strike in February, the salary for the month be paid only to those who were not on strike and had done invigilation and evaluation work for 2020 matriculation and intermediate examinations,” said the directive, after reviewing the department’s earlier order.

Nearly four lakh Bihar primary and middle school teachers are on strike since February 17, while the secondary and higher secondary teachers joined in from February 25 in support of their demand of ‘equal pay for equal work’ and proper service conditions.

All the teachers had been appointed during the Nitish government (since 2006) and also got hikes in the past. However, they have been demanding to be treated on par with old teachers to avail the same benefits and salary, while the government appointed them under new rules. The matter went up to the Supreme Court, where the teachers lost, but they now want the government to accede to their demands.