Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president Rajesh Kumar Verma (left) hands over a cheque to Sushil Kumar Modi in Patna on Monday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday sought doubling of salaries of teachers appointed on fixed pay.

At present, the teachers of primary, secondary and Plus Two schools are paid Rs 7,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,000, respectively, said Modi while drawing a comparison with Rs 14,500 a month paid to a Group D employee who would not have studied beyond matriculation.

“Teachers, who are considered nation builders, are getting a paltry salary. They are getting less than the salary of a peon. We will not ignore this issue. We fought whole-heartedly for teachers’ salary hike when we were in the government and now we will fight on the issue both inside and outside the Assembly, which would be in session from July 26,” the former deputy chief minister told reporters.

“Our only demand is that it should be an honourable amount which can’t be less than double. Recently, governments of Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand have either doubled or made a substantial hike in the salary of these teachers,” he said.

He said there were 1.74 lakh sanctioned posts of regularised teachers in these schools, but with the government taking a decision not to recruit anyone against the sanctioned posts the number has dwindled to 94,000.

If the government would continue with 1.74 lakh teachers, it would have to spend Rs 8,352 crore, Modi said, adding that at present the government shells out Rs 3,948 crore annually on the existing 94,000 regularised teachers.

“Even if we add the expenditure on the payment of 94,000 regularised teachers and teachers appointed on fixed pay (around 2.5 lakh), the government would be left with Rs 2,602 crore,” he said.

He also questioned the government for withholding the release of grants to the teachers and employees of unaided degree colleges, inter colleges and high schools for four consecutive years.