Patna: There is welcome news for nearly 12,000 teachers in Bihar ahead of the new year. Teachers working in government schools from classes 1 to 12 will now receive higher salaries after the state education department increased the dearness allowance (DA) from 50% to 58%. For the past two years, many teachers had been managing with fixed pay, even as the cost of living continued to rise, making this decision a major relief.
The state government had earlier announced DA hikes in phases, first from 50% to 53% and then to 58%. However, due to delays in implementation, most teachers were still being paid at the old 50% rate. This led to growing dissatisfaction among teachers, who repeatedly raised the issue with the department. Over the last few days, following fresh departmental instructions, officials moved quickly to correct the situation.
The turning point came after the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) was updated from Patna. Once the system was revised, officials recalculated salaries and cleared pending dues within two days. Teachers received arrears for the past six months, with amounts ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000, which were credited directly to their accounts earlier this week.
The benefit applies to teachers from primary to senior secondary levels, including special teachers. From December onwards, salaries will be paid with the revised 58% DA. The education department has also begun work on releasing long-pending annual increments. Special teachers are expected to receive one increment from July 2025, while BPSC-appointed teachers are set to get two increments due from July 2024 and July 2025. For many educators, the move marks a long-awaited financial correction and a boost to morale.
