Madikeri: The Government Order (GO) providing annual additional wage increment to government employees who have passed the departmental Kannada examinations between January 10, 1974 and September 2, 1987 has come under the scanner, considering the huge financial burden on the Exchequer.

Under this, the Government has to provide dues to government schoolteachers, amounting to over Rs. 3 crores in Kodagu, according to sources here on Thursday.

In Madikeri taluk, Rs. 66 lakhs has to be paid in arrears to teachers, some of whom have retired.

Kodagu has three taluks but there are districts with more number of taluks. Considering this, the arrears pertaining to additional wage increments could run into more than Rs. 100 crores, the sources said.

The three block education officers in Kodagu have been asked by the office of the Deputy Director of Public Instruction here to provide details of the arrears to it to take steps to seek funds from the Government and clear the dues, the sources said.

As the Government did not release adequate funds sought by the zilla panchayats annually, the latter had to delay the payment of additional increments, the sources pointed out.

Was this largesse from the Government needed, is the question being asked here when the Government finds itself in a difficult position to pay even the salaries of teachers regularly.

The primary and high school teachers in government schools come under the purview of the order. There are 2,049 primary and 415 high school teachers but those recruited after the cut off date of September 2, 1987, would not be covered by the order for additional increment. As per the Karnataka Civil Services (Service and Kannada Language Examination) rule of 1974, every government employee must pass the Kannada examination compulsorily.

Exemption

Orders were passed for according exemption from appearing for Kannada examination compulsorily to those teachers teaching in languages belonging to linguistic minority (August 6, 1979), Group "D'' and Sanskrit teachers (July 1, 1983), Urdu, Arabic and Persian teachers (December 3, 1983), Tamil (August 29, 1985), Telugu, Marathi (January 8, 1986). All these category of teachers would not be eligible for additional increments.

Another issue is that all the employees from the State would have in one form or other passed the Kannada examination.

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