Report by Suchismita Sahoo; Bhubaneswar: In a significant development Odisha Government on Tuesday decides to hike salaries for block grant teachers.  The government has decided to pay salaries to the teachers as per the recomendation of the sixth pay commission and 60 per cent of the grade pay recommended by the same pay commission. The new pay scales would be effective from April, 2012.

That apart the block grant teachers would receive 11 per cent dearness allowance. The school and mass education department minister Pratap Jena today announced the government decision in the assembly. The teaching staff of 1587 high schools would be benefited by the pay hikes. At present there are 1,982 block grant schools all over ther state.

The government has decided to provide 60 per cent of pay recommended by the sixth pay commission for teaching staff of 916 Upper Primary schools while teachers of 224 private schools at panchayat level would get 60 per cent of the block grant under the fifth pay commissioin.