Not possible to meet teachers demand: Nitish

With over 2.25 lakh contractual teachers continuing their protests for regularisation and pay parity, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said their demands were not feasible considering the state's economic health.
"An additional Rs 12,000 crore will be required to meet the demands of the contractual teachers for job regularisation and pay parity with regular teachers ... The state government's economic health does not allow this," Kumar said in his speech at a programme here organised for celebrating Swami Sahajanand Saraswati's birth anniversary.
"Shall I stop developmental works in other sectors like health, roads, education and welfare schemes for weaker sections and women?" he asked to press home his point.

In a veiled attack on principal opposition party RJD, which is supporting the teachers' stir, Kumar said "Those who earlier used to say dismiss all these contractual teachers by a stroke of the pen are today promising to regularise them by a stroke of the pen."
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had yesterday said the government was favourably inclined to hiking their pay but blamed the agitating teachers for 'slamming the door for talks' by resorting to violence.