BANGALORE: The government primary and secondary school teachers in the State are paid much lower than what their counterparts get in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The last pay revision in 1998 had fixed the salary scale for primary school teachers at Rs. 4,575 to Rs. 8,400 and for secondary school teachers at Rs. 5,575 to Rs. 10,620, about Rs. 1,000 less than technical school teachers.

Demanding a correction in this "imbalance" through the Fifth Pay Commission report, the Karnataka State Secondary School Assistant Teachers' Association on Tuesday threatened to launch an agitation if there was further delay.

Delegation

On February 15, a delegation of the association led by MLCs Puttanna, Marithippegowda and Y.A. Narayanaswamy had met the Pay Commission chairman and urged him to submit the report at the earliest.

The delegation wanted the starting pay for primary school teachers to be increased to Rs. 8,000 and for secondary teachers at Rs. 9,500.

The association urged the Pay Commission and the Government to sanction 30 days earned leave for all school teachers and pre-university college lecturers.

Higher HRA

Another demand was for payment of 30 per cent of the basic pay as House Rent Allowance (HRA) for teachers working in Bangalore.

With the formation of Greater Bangalore, the teachers should be treated on par with their counterparts in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, the association said.

The starting basic pay for secondary school teachers was Rs. 8,390 in Kerala, Rs. 7,200 in Andhra Pradesh, Rs. 5,500 + Rs. 2,750 (including Dearness Pay) in Tamil Nadu and Maharastra, the same as Central Government employees. For secondary school senior teachers and pre-university college assistant lecturers, the payscale was Rs. 11,700 to Rs. 18,450 in Kerala compared to Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 11,200 in Karnataka, the association office-bearers told presspersons here on Tuesday.

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