A central directive setting conditions for release of funds for paying enhanced salaries to college and university teachers has put the state government in a fix.

The Union human resource development ministry has warned the state that it would block the funds unless the retirement age of the teachers is raised to 65 and the enhanced pay scale as recommended by the UGC is fully implemented.

The state government, which has only partially implemented the UGC pay-hike proposals, is opposed to raising the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65.

State higher education minister Sudarshan Ray Chaudhury said: “As of now, we have no plan to raise the retirement age of teachers.”

An “acute shortage” of competent teachers in colleges and universities had prompted the UGC last year to suggest that the superannuation age be fixed at 65 and the salaries be increased to draw bright brains to the profession.

Eighty per cent of the extra amount in the revised pay scale, effective from 2006, will be borne by the Centre for four years and three months and the rest by the state. After that duration, the state will have to shoulder the financial burden alone.

The arrears, too, will be divided in the same proportion.

An official in the higher education department said if the state refused to toe the Centre’s line and Delhi held back funds, the state would have to bear the entire salary expenses from now.

Teachers’ organisations opposed to the Left Front have threatened to launch an agitation demanding “full implementation” of the UGC recommendations.

“Each teacher would lose between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh if the state does not implement the UGC recommendations,” said Tarun Naskar, a senior teacher at Jadavpur University’s engineering faculty and the general secretary of the anti-Left All Bengal University Teachers’ Association.

“As for the arrears, we will have to be content with only 20 per cent of what is due if the Centre refuses to pay its share,” Naskar added.

Tarun Patra, the general secretary of the CPM-backed West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association, said: “We are yet to finalise our stand on the retirement issue but have urged the state and central governments to ensure that all recommendations on the pay hike be implemented immediately.”

An official in the higher education department said the state could not ignore the Centre’s order or challenge it in court as such a move would turn teachers against the government.

College teachers in the state now retire at 60. University teachers, too, retire at that age but they can be re-employed.

The re-employment is initially for two years but the contract can be extended by a year thrice. However, during the tenure of re-employment, the teachers are not entitled to any salary hike.