Cabinet approves pay revision for varsity teachers

Just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the state Cabinet has decided to revise the University Grants Commission (UGC) pay scale for teaching staff in universities and colleges based on recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.

The revised pay scale will be notionally effective from January 1, 2016, but the financial benefit will accrue from April 1, 2019. The move, which was a long-pending demand of the teaching community, will benefit over 12,000 staffers in universities, government/aided institutions and BEd colleges, according to the Federation of University College Teachers Association Karnataka (FUCTAK).

The revised pay scale will see an entry-level professor’s earnings go up from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.44 lakh a month, and for an assistant professor from Rs 21,600 to Rs 52,000.

The teaching staff will get arrears since 2016, which will be shared equally by the Centre and the state government. The arrears are likely to come up to Rs 1,298 crore.

Also, the Cabinet has decided to implement the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for teachers in the agriculture, horticulture and veterinary sciences universities.

The Cabinet, whose meeting Monday evening ended late in the night, decided to take up the ambitious Jaladhare universal drinking water project at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore and development of rural roads costing Rs 1,500 crore.

A slew of lake-filling projects in the Old Mysore region have been approved for the minor irrigation department. The Cabinet also approved a project to lift 387.50 mcft water from the Hemavathi river to fill 150 lakes and 50 kattes (tanks) at a cost of Rs 190 crore. Plus, the 3rd stage of the Rachenahalli lift irrigation will be taken up at a cost of Rs 141.50 crore.

The Cabinet decided to amend the draft eco-sensitive zone notification for the Adichunchanagiri sanctuary and recommend to the Centre declaring as eco-sensitive zone the areas around the wildlife sanctuaries of Thimmapur, Jogimatti and Yadahalli.

Other decisions

* Shoes, socks for 44.57 government schoolchildren in Classes 1-10 at a cost of Rs 126 crore.

* Administrative approval to use railway poles to barricade Anechowkuru, Metikuppe and Hunsur reserves under Nagarahole National Park at a cost of Rs 23.29 crore.

* 50 acres of land to establish a CRPF Rapid Action Force battalion in Bhadravathi, Shivamogga.

* 3-star hotel to be set up by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 83.97 crore.

* In-principle approval for DPR for development of Channapatna lake in Hassan city at a cost of Rs 144 crore.

* Special package to promote investment at Koppal toy cluster and Ballari textile cluster as part of Compete with China scheme.