1K teachers yet to get March salary

The ruling AAP government has recently started the “Sikhya Kranti” initiative by inaugurating several projects in state-run schools. Crores of rupees are being spent to revolutionise the education system.

However, in the entire exercise, the government has apparently forgotten to pay attention to teachers, who shape the future generations. About 1,000 teachers in primary schools in the district are yet to get the salaries for the month of March, though 21 days of April have already passed.

Upset over the lackadaisical attitude of the state government, the teachers maintain that the Treasury Department will release the salaries only after getting green signal from high-ups.

District President of ETT Teachers Union Paramjit Singh Mann told The Tribune that barring six-seven blocks, about 1,000 teachers in 12 blocks have not been paid for March.

“We have come to know that the budget for the salaries has come on April 9, but the government has verbally conveyed to the department not to release the salaries till further orders. We met the District Treasury Officer too, who said the bills were raised by several schools by April 14. Those salary bills were cleared on April 17, but more salary bills will be cleared after the nod from the high-ups,” Mann said.

Another leader Kuljinder Singh Baddowal said April was the most important month of the year when expenses for shoot up as the parents have to shell out money for school admission of their wards, uniform, books, etc.

“We spend maximum amount of money in March and April and if we do not get salaries in time, how will we survive? We are facing many issues due to unavailability of funds. When the salaries are to be given by the government, why not do it timely,” Mann asked.

The teachers maintain that if salaries are not released in the next couple of days by the Treasury Department, they will intensify the agitation. It may be mentioned that earlier also, the department had delayed the release of salaries to the teachers.