Teacher pay disparity

Calcutta, July 20: The Assembly standing committee on education today expressed displeasure over discrimination in salaries of teachers in government-run primary schools and those hired on contract as part of the Sarva Siksha Abhijan.

Under the project, a nodal panel appointed by the state government recruits unemployed youths to impart primary education. Over 14 lakh students in the age group of six to 14 are taught under the centrally-funded scheme. A teacher at a government-aided primary school gets about Rs 7,000 every month. Primary teachers who are part of the drive get Rs 1,000 a month and upper primary teachers Rs 2,000.

Con man held

Calcutta: Radheshyam Chowdhary, who posed as a colonel and promised jobs, was arrested on Tuesday night while trying to fleece a youth. Chowdhary, 22, a resident of Shyampukur in north Calcutta, had duped several policemen and port trust employees.

Govt housing

Calcutta: Housing minister Gautam Deb said the government will not shy away from the housing sector. Its presence, Deb told the Assembly, keeps a check on real estate prices.

Protest rally

Calcutta: The Democratic Lawyers’ Association, a Left leaning lobby, will hold a rally on August 2 to protest against the behaviour of Trinamul Congress MLAs in the Assembly on Monday. MLAs protesting against the village-level prelitigation conciliation board bill had pushed around law minister Nisith Adhikary and hurled eggs at the Speaker’s chair. The association described the Trinamul way of protest as “unpardonable”.