WB govt does not have capacity to meet primary teachers' pay

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee Saturday said the government cannot raise the pay scale of agitating primary school teachers to the level demanded by them as it will incur a huge expense on the state exchequer.

The indefinite fast of a section of primary school teachers demanding pay hike entered the seventh day Saturday.

Urging the agitators to call off their hunger strike, Chatterjee said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is sympathetic to their demand.

"Effecting a hike as demanded by the agitating teachers will incur huge expenses which is beyond the capacity of the state government," the minister told reporters after meeting representatives of Usti Primary Teachers' Association.

But the state government can certainly look for some increase in the primary teachers salary, he said.

The minister lamented that the teachers went ahead with the fast despite his request to the association not to go for such an agitation.

He said the fast should be called off ..