The Hindu : Karnataka News : Schoolteachers not paid salary for two months

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 19, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Schoolteachers not paid salary for two months

Staff Correspondent

`Delay caused by problems in new computerised system' `Delay caused by problems in new computerised system'

DAVANGERE: Teachers of government and aided primary, secondary and high schools in Davangere district have not been paid salary for two months and many teachers have been shuttling between the offices of the Deputy Director of Public Instruction, the Block Education Officer and the zilla panchayat to urge officials to release their salary immediately.

Around 9,000 teachers from government and aided schools are yet to be paid salaries, S.I. Hiremath, general secretary of the Karnataka State Schoolteachers' Association told The Hindu . He said many teachers are borrowing money at a very high interest rate and many have pledged gold jewellery to run their households.

The Deputy Director for Public Instruction, S.M. Shantha Raju, told The Hindu on Saturday that the Education Department has computerised the system and funds will be released online now. However, there are a few teething problems in the new system. He added that there are two treasuries in the district, at Davangere and Mayakonda, and teachers at Mayakonda have not been paid their salary for two months owing to a mistake at the office of the Block Education Officer.

Mr. Raju said that he has taken action to ensure that teachers be paid their salaries by Monday.

Replying to a question, he said there are 2,077 schools in the district with a combined strength of 10,72,000 students. The department has earmarked Rs. 90 cores for payment of salaries to teachers for the year, he added.

Textbooks are being distributed free of cost to students at government schools, Mr. Raju said. However, he said there is a shortage of textbooks in the open market. He said that at least 75 per cent of students are attending classes without textbooks in private and unaided school. He said the Education Department is helpless as the printers have not supplied textbooks on time.

Many students have borrowed books from their friends and seniors and taken photocopies of the books. Teachers are concerned that students will be unable to follow the lessons without textbooks.

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