Mahiti Sindhu teachers to get pending salary arrears

Replying to a question by Y A Narayanaswamy in the Legislative Council on Friday, the minister said the government was aware of the fact that salaries were pending since March this year for teachers under ‘Mahiti Sindhu’ in several districts. The teachers are entitled for Rs 4,500 a month.

The salary has to be paid by the state-owned KEONICS. But as KEONICS is in financial trouble, it has failed to pay the salary. The salary will be made available for the teachers through the Department of State Education Research and Training, he said.

Next eight months

The DSERT will be directed to release money for the salary purpose to KEONICS for the next eight months, the minister added.

Earlier, Opposition members Y A Narayanaswamy and G K Patil had questioned Kageri on the poor management of the programme by KEONICS. Members of the BJP too questioned the wisdom of outsourcing the programme to KEONICS.

Replying to another question, Kageri admitted at the Council that a substantial number of Government High schools and Pre-university Colleges in the State did not have their own buildings.

He said that 1100 new High Schools and 500 Pre-University colleges were started during the previous regime and the money provided since for the institutions has not been substantial.

Constructing the buildings were a high priority for his department, he added.