Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has increased the monthly salary of Junior Teachers (Schematic) working at the primary and upper-primary levels from Rs 11,000 to Rs 16,000 per month. A decision in this regard was approved by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Apart from the salary hike, the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for these teachers has also been raised from Rs 1,443 to Rs 1,950 per month. As a result, the total monthly payment, including EPF, has increased from Rs 12,543 to Rs 17,950 for each teacher.

Currently, as many as 13,740 Junior Teachers (Schematic) are employed in the state. To accommodate this pay revision, the state government will bear an additional annual expenditure of Rs 89.15 crore.

The Chief Minister emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing primary education and expressed confidence that this decision will benefit junior teachers and improve the quality of education. He also highlighted initiatives like the Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme, which aims to further strengthen the primary education system.