Deficit teachers’ pay to add Rs 250 cr to state spending

SHILLONG: The state government will have to spend at least Rs 250 crore annually if it includes the teachers of deficit schools and colleges under the Fifth Pay Commission provisions.
An official source said that while Rs 170 crore is needed to pay annually as the salaries of the deficit school teachers if the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations are implemented, the total financial involvement will be around Rs 250 crore with the addition of deficit college teachers.
The state government has already released the new pay and the 40 per cent arrears (around Rs 270 crore) will be cleared within this year. In each of the subsequent two years, 30 per cent arrears will be released.
The financial involvement for the implementation of new pay for the 11 months is Rs 929 crore, including arrears, to regular staff and pensioners.
An official source said though the government will be able to pay the new package this year, it may find it difficult to carry on with the task due to the inclusion of deficit teachers.
The ban on coal mining and the liquor ban for almost a year had affected the state’s revenue generation.
The options before the government is to resort to borrowing or generate its own resources to tide over the crisis, the source added.