Buxar: With Diwali just days away, over 12,000 primary and secondary school teachers in Buxar are still waiting for their Oct salaries due to delays in processing salary bills.The delay comes despite education minister Mithilesh Kumar Tiwary and additional chief secretary (ACS) C K Anil directing officials to ensure timely salary disbursement before the festival. However, sources in the district programme officer (DPO), establishment office, said the process of verifying and reconciling salary bills is yet to be completed.The delay has caused concern among teachers, who were expecting their salaries before Diwali to meet festival-related expenses. With the payment process still underway, it remains uncertain whether the salaries will be credited before the festival.Buxar district education officer (DEO) Indra Kumar Karn said the salary-tagging process was underway and the department was working round the clock to ensure early payment of Oct salaries. “We are working day and night to complete the salary payment process. The tagging of salaries is currently underway,” the DEO said.Meanwhile, Bihar Progressive Teachers’ Union state president Prabhakar Dubey expressed disappointment over the delay. He said it would be an unusual situation, after nearly a decade, if teachers failed to receive their salaries before Diwali.Dubey said he met the DEO on Thursday and urged him to expedite the process so that Oct salaries could be credited before the festival. He also appealed to the education department to take necessary steps to prevent further delays.Nisha Rani, a teacher from Buxar town, said timely salary payments were particularly important during the festive season, when household expenses typically increase.
