The state government will pay teachers their full salaries for the period they were on strike following an assurance by the latter to compensate the loss of working days.Teachers' unions entered into a pact with the government a few days ago when they called off their strike, agreeing to work on 16 holidays to compensate for the loss.

Some officials on Friday objected to this, saying that payment for the strike period was in violation of the no-work-no-pay rule of GO 177, which was upheld by the High Court. They also said teachers could not be paid special advance as they can in the case of other employees because the agreement between the state and the teachers' JAC lacked the provision.

The teachers' leaders rushed to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to complain. The CM direct ed that full salaries be paid as the teachers had agreed to work during holidays. The CMO press release said the decision would benefit 1.35 lakh teachers to the tune of `375 crore.

Meanwhile, teachers and staff of Intermediate have agreed to work on holidays to compensate for the loss of 26 working days on account of the strike. As per the pact reached between the government and the Telangana Inter Vidya JAC, the strike period from September 13 to October 19 would be treated as “on duty“.

Though the staff was on strike for 38 days, the working days lost were 26, excluding the Dasara vacation and other holidays. The JAC has agreed to work on Sundays and second Saturdays from October 23 to February 19 besides five days during the Sankranthi vacation, which amounts to 18 working days. To make up for the remaining eight days, they have agreed to work one hour extra for 45 days.