Patna, March 16: The state human resource development (HRD) department is burning midnight oil to make the Bihar Divas function a grand affair. But, the over-deployment of officials and employees of the department is affecting other projects.

The Bihar Divas function will start on March 22 and the festivities will continue till March 24.

Though the Bihar Divas function is jointly organised by HRD and department of art, culture and youth affairs, it has a larger participation of employees from the former department. There are more than two lakh teachers in government primary and secondary schools, who have not received their salary for the past five months. But the department appears more engaged in celebrating the event rather than releasing the salaries.

Sabnam Kumari, a teacher at Upgraded Middle School, Gaura in Vaishali district, said: “We have not received salary for the past five months. We have celebrated Dussehra and Diwali without our salaries and now it appears that even Holi would remain a dull affair.”

According to the HRD directive, all the schools will celebrate Bihar Divas by decorating the school walls with pictures of prominent personalities from the state who have created a niche for themselves. The schoolteachers too have been asked to draw the map of Bihar on walls of schools.

According to sources, apart from non-payment of salaries, the state HRD department also has to revitalise the education sector. The government has planned many schemes and proposals, which include holding of educational seminars, workshops but with the officials of the state HRD department busy for the event, such seminars and workshops have not commenced for about a month.

According to HRD sources, there are many schemes under primary education, which are running at a slow pace because of the event. Many of the schemes and programmes include Auzaar Yojana under which talented children were to be trained in various categories. Mukkhyamantri Poshak Yojana under which two pairs of uniforms have to be supplied to schoolchildren at primary and secondary levels.

However, the HRD department principal secretary, Anjani Kumar Singh said the department has taken the Bihar Divas event as a challenge. Singh said: “Earlier, we used to complete our work by 6pm but now we have to work till 9pm in the night.”