BHUBANESWAR: Padma awardees of the state will now receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000. This was announced by the state government on Wednesday.
A statement from the chief minister’s office stated Padma awardees have added to the glory of the state through their talent and service. In recognition of their strong contribution to the society, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has decided to pay an honorarium of Rs 25,000 per month to them, it added. Odisha currently has one Bharat Ratna VV Giri; four Padma Vibhushan Sudarshan Sahoo, Raghunath Mohapatra, Sitakant Mahapatra and Kelucharan Mohapatra; 11 Padma Bhushan and 90 Padma Shri awardees.
In another development, the government hiked the monthly salary of junior teachers to Rs 20,000 from Rs 13,800. The salary hike will come into effect retrospectively from January 1, 2023. A release from CMO stated considering the various demands of junior teachers (those who have worked in planned positions for three years) employed in primary and higher primary schools in the state, the government has decided to pay them Rs 20,000 instead of Rs 13,800 per month. This will benefit 12,784 junior teachers.