Patna — 'arants @hiedustancimes com

Setting the tone for the Bihar Legislative Council elections for eight seats - four each from the graduate and teachers' constituencies - scheduled in November, Bihar chief minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday reiterated his government's resolve to give pay-scale to the teachers of unaided institutions.

He was speaking a day after releasing 2461-crore grant-inaid for payment of long pending salary to teachers and employces of unaided institutions ata function to felicitate him for his announcement of pay-scale.

Bihar Vidhan Parishad chairman Avadhesh Narayan Singh and several MLCs from teacher and graduate constituencies were present at the function having a large presence of teachers from unaided institutions.

"Right now the government has released 246l-crore. but a lot more is in the pipeline. It is to the tune of %,700-crore. There is no dearth of money. 1 will meet you again and do full justice. It is the government's responsibility. You just have to keep showering your blessings," headded

The CM said that all the MLCS seated in the hall championed the cause of teachers of unaided institutions.

"You all will certainly get the pay-scale. There are certain issues which are being resolved. I will hold discussions with you all the stakeholders. Education has been my main priority from day one and Lam working in that direction. Bihar will change with your efforts only." he said, praising Nawal Kishore Yadav

. " SS, pKa | ey ern im roa Ys =" I") Of. Soa Ag . 5S L r JA : ' , > hme CM Samrat Choudhary with health minister Nishant Kumar at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna on Sunday. 'SANTOSH NKUMAR/HT for organising the programme. announced the names of five The announcement of Sam: candidates, including Afaq rat Choudhary to givea separate Ahmad. who won the by-elec= pay-scale (0 teachers and tions in April 2023 from Saran employees of hundreds of — wachers' seat asan independent unaided institutions is being candidate backed by Jan Suraaj. seen as a potential game The party's other candidates changer for the NDA. graduate seats are Rajnish RanCouncil Chairman Awadhesh — jan (Kosi) and Ravindra Yadav Narayan Singh also said that it' (Darbhanga), while from teachwas a historic decision for _ ers' seats SP Roy (Darbhanga) which the teachers had been and Divya Gautam (Patna) have waiting for 42 years. been fielded. The candidates for Patna and Jan Suraj announces 5 Tirhut (graduate) and Tirhut candidates for MLC polls = (Teachers) seats would be Political parties have begun announced in the next 3-4 days, making their moves, and new said Kishor, exhorting the players are flexing their musteachers and graduates to vote cles ahead of the Council elecfor themselves if they wished ons scheduled for November. any turnaround in their forOf the eight seats, Independtunes. ents currently hold three, the Addressing graduate constitBJP two, while the JD-U, Con__uency voters, Kishor also promgress, and the CPI each hold _ ised that if JSP candidates win, one. 10,000 jobs would be facilitated This time, Prashant Kishor's for unemployed graduates in Jan Suraaj Party hasemerged as each graduate constituency, a new player, announcing its _ similar toa job-related promise intent to field candidates for all he had made to educated unem: eight seats. ployed voters in his Bankipur On Sunday. Kishor constituency.

Ne ee ee Ce ee turned:politician Divya Jyoti, gress president Madan Mohan who joined the party last week, Jha. was fielded from Patna teachThere are also left parties, ers' constituency. which iscurwho have traditionally conrently being held by JD(U) chief tested the seats. CPI's Sanjay spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, Kumar Singh is the sitting can- |

"[ will try to form a joint didate from the Tirhut seat struggle committee of teachers' How opposition alliance works | bodies to unitedly raise their out the differences will be crudemands for 7th pay, realistic cial. Even from within the RJD, solution of long-pending disgruntled voices have unaided education policy and emerged. resolve the problem due to NDA, too, has differences, involvement of teachersinnon- — especially over the Patna (gradacademic work whimsically. 1 wate) seat, which has been repwill also work for 10k jobs for resented thrice by JD-U's Neeraj graduate voters," he added. Kumar.

Kishore said the teachers' But this time. Mokama MLA struggle in Bihar has been going Anant Singh has thrown his on against the system for sev: weight behind Anuj Kumar, eral years. who is tipped to be the Jan Suraj

"Whether it is the issue of candidate. Jan Suraj is yet to appointed teachers, the TRE officially announce its candiexamination, pay scales, the date for the seat involvement of teachers in nonIn the Patna (teacher) seat, academic work or the misman_ Prof Nawal Kishore Yadav is tryagement of unaided and aided —_ ing for his sixth consecutive institutions... Our stand so far term, and is pitted against first has been that the teaching com_ timer Dr Sanjiv Kumar from the munity itself is divided intosevRJD and Dvya Gautam, who eral associations and there are runs many educational institudifferent kinds of teachers. The tions, of the Jan Suraj. The condition of teachers will — advantage for Yadav is that he is improve only when education is a teacher with long reach in the given importance and priority teaching community. tn Bihar" he added. Though the NDA is likely to.

retain its three seats, it has not Brewing discontent officially announced the names among parties of its candidates, which is likely Of the eight seats going to polls, _ after the announcement of elecRJD has fielded six candidates, tion in the coming weeks. But it | though it has no sitting seat,and —_ has sounded the potential canleft only Darbhanga and Kosi didates to start working in their teacher seats for the alliance respective constituencies. partners. sparking differences In the Legislative Council within Opposition Mahagathelections, candidates' loca) bandhan. influence, standing among

'An upset Congress has graduate and teacher voters. announced to field candidates and the strength of party orga on all eight seats. The Dar_nisations are expected to be key' | bhanga (teacher) seat is repre: _ factors, officials noted. |