Contractual Teachers Unhappy With ‘Paltry’ Salary Hike Announced by Bihar Govt Ahead of Assembly Polls

Patna: A number of associations of more than 3.5 lakh contractual school teachers in Bihar have expressed their anger and unhappiness over the state government’s bid to woo them ahead of the Assembly elections. The government has announced 15% increase in their salary and has approved revised service conditions.

A day after the Bihar government announced the pre-polls “gift” for the contractual school teachers, locally known as ‘Niyojit Shikshak’, their associations have termed it a “lollipop” and ”chunavi jumla'' and threatened to protest against it.

Interestingly, notwithstanding their demand for pay on par with permanent teachers in government schools, a pay hike had been announced ahead of the 2015 polls as well. 

“The government has tried to fool us. This will not work; we will continue to protest till our demands are fulfilled,” said Lokesh Kumar, a contractual teacher.

Another contractual teacher, Hemant Paswan, echoed Kumar’s views. “We are mature enough to understand what the government is trying to do just before the elections,” he said.

 According to officials of the Education Department here, the average monthly salary of a contractual teacher can range between Rs 25,000 and 28,000 per month. However, permanent teachers get paid between Rs 75,000 and Rs 95,000 per month, depending on their seniority.

Manoj Kumar, a leader of the Bihar Rajya Shikshak Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, said they are neither happy nor satisfied with the way the state government has half heartedly announced a package “to influence them”. “It is cheating. We will launch a fresh campaign and protest to expose how the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has acted against our demands.”

Manoj said that in May, contractual teachers ended their 78-days indefinite strike due to the COVID-19 pandemic and following the state government's assurance that they will look into the demands. “But the government announced its decision without even inviting associations of contractual teachers as it had promised. It is nothing but a humiliation and insult for the contractual teachers.”

TET, STET Qualified Teachers Association, too, has described the government’s announcement as “a cumin seed in a camel's mouth”. They have announced that they will oppose the move and will burn a copy of the approved revised service conditions to protest.

Bihar Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh and BSSTA have also not welcomed the government’s announcement so far.

According to the official release of the government, the state Cabinet on August 18 had approved the 15 % increase in basic salary of contractual teachers appointed since 2006. The government will also contribute to the employee provident funds. But it will be effective from April 1, 2021.

Manoj claimed that nearly 72 contractual teachers had died during the strike period. Most of the striking teachers who died were reportedly under stress owing to the non-payment of their salaries and died of heart attack, brain haemorrhage and lack of proper treatment due to financial crunch, he said.

Bihar Secondary School Teachers’ Association (BSSTA) General Secretary Shatrughan Prasad Singh said that in April, they had requested that the National Human Rights Commission look into their demand for an inquiry into the deaths of the teachers during the strike period .

The contractual school teachers were on a strike from February 17 to May 4. The strike had reportedly badly affected teaching in schools. The call had been given by the Bihar Rajya Shikshak Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, a joint platform of 26 school teachers’ associations.

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