HRD Minister Geetashree Oraon's proposal to hike the honorarium of around 80,000 para teachers by Rs 5,000 hit a roadblock on Thursday when Finance Minister Rajendra Singh rued lack of resources to meet the additional burden for the plan in the current fiscal.
"There is no provision for the increased amount in the current financial year," the Finance Minister told The Pioneer.
Incidentally, Oraon confided that the decision to propose the hike in the honorarium has come after consultations with the Finance Minister. Both the Ministers belong to the Congress in the Hemant Soren Government.
"He was positive in the beginning but I don't know what has happened in the meantime," said Oraon adding, "he (Singh) has not communicated his reservations to me."
Although the Finance Minister has ruled out more funds for the HRD department, the matter is likely to be discussed with the HRD Minister who has been trying to know former's reservations on the issue but to no avail.
"There is a process to follow on such matters. We will meet and discuss the matter," added Singh.
The Finance department had rejected such a proposal in the past seeking an increase in the honorarium of para teachers and increasing the tenure of a para teacher.
Para teachers on several occasions in the past had been at loggerheads with the Government on the issue of honorarium and often resorted to strike.
Nevertheless, the HRD department is preparing the proposal on the honorarium which if approved will benefit as many as 80,000 para teachers in the State. An increase in the honorarium means an additional annual burden of Rs 480 crore on the State. Notably, honorarium for para teachers rendering their service in a primary school has been divided into three slabs --- Rs 5,700 for untrained teachers and Rs 6,200 for trained teachers besides Rs 6,500 for TET qualified teachers.
likewise, honorarium for para teachers of Upgraded Middle Schools has also been divided in three slabs --- Rs 6,200 for untrained teachers, Rs 6,700 for trained teachers and Rs 7,000 for TET qualified para teachers.
"We are in the process of preparing the proposal to put before the concerned authority for approval," Oraon said.