Bhopal, May 17: The state government has paved the way for giving status of teacher to as many as 18000 contractual teachers in the state. This is one of the steps in the series of state government's efforts for improving standard of education and condition of those connected with it. This order in favour of contractual teachers was given just 12 days ago by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. On Wednesday, the state cabinet also put the seal of its approval on the order. The state government would have to bear an annual burden to the tune of Rs 35 crore in the wake of this decision.

As per the decision, contractual teachers of all the three grades are going to be included in teachers grade. These contractual teachers were appointed in the year 2001. Grade-I contractual teachers would now be called senior teachers and would get minimum pay scale to the tune of at least Rs five thousand per month while grade-II contractual teachers would be called teachers and get minimum pay scale Rs four thousand per month. Grade-III contractual teachers who would now be appointed as teachers would get the minimum pay scale of Rs three thousand per month. Significantly, these contractual teachers would now get dearness allowance and other amenities at par with other employees of the state government.

Another important decision is that though these contractual teachers would be appointed as teachers with retrospective effect from April 1, 2007, but their seniority would be counted above those contractual teachers who were appointed as teachers in the wake of amendment to rules in the year 2003. These teachers of grade-1, II and III appointed in the year 2004 were given the pay scales of Rs 4500, Rs 3500 and Rs 2500 respectively.