Teachers' demand: Not Bihar's cup of tea

Education principal secretary says pay hike will happen gradually. Even for an increment of R1,000, Bihar would require an additional R500 crore, but govt still alive to their demands.

Bihar is constantly trying to improve the service conditions and pay of fixed pay teachers but giving them a prescribed pay band is not possible. Bihar’s
financial health does not allow it, principal secretary, education, Amarjeet Sinha told Hindustan Times.

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He said, “Pay hike will happen gradually. Even for an increment of Rs. 1,000, Bihar would require an additional Rs. 500 crore. It is not a small number that has to be catered to, but the government is still alive to their demands and wants to provide them better service conditions as well as proper training - a must under the RTE to continue as a teacher. If they do not successfully complete training, they will have to make way for others under RTE,” he added.

Sinha’s comment comes in the wake of largescale protests and some violence at chief minister Nitish Kumar’s ongoing Adhikar Yatra in districts, specially in north-central and north-east areas.

Sinha said government had given the teachers hike last time without even their demanding it. "That can happen again in future. But there would be no promise as of now, since the resources are limited. The state would not give in to pressure either,” Sinha clarified.

Chief Miister Nitish Kumar had, at Khagaria and Madhubani, refused to cow down under pressure. He said he had been open to discussions but the type of organised pressure and violence resorted to by teachers would go against them. "No further discussions would be taken up, if such attitude of teachers continued,” he had said.

Sinha said: "Democratic protests are okay, but acts of indiscipline and violence, besides absenteeism in schools, cannot be ignored”. He, however, added,
that from January, they will have pension facility.

“We are also working on ensuring monthly salary payment through banks,” he added.

On cases being lodged against protesting teachers, Sinha said: “It is being done on the reports of recruiting agencies by the district education officers (DEOs) concerned. Law will take its own course. There is enough in the video footage procured from various sources.”