KATHMANDU: The over-46-billion-rupee allocation for the education sector this fiscal year is inadequate to meet the expenditure raised by a hike in the staffers’ pay after the announcement of the budget.

Falling to the staffers’ protest from all quarters, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) had announced a raise in their pay. This applied to all the teachers and staffers working in public schools, universities and the ministry itself as well as its departments and constituent offices.

According to Deepak Sharma, under secretary, Ministry of Education, the inadequacy of funds had been presented to the MoF for discussion during the second four-month review of the sector-wise programmes. “We have asked the MoF to replenish the funds while it announces the supplementary budget,” he added.

The ministry needs Rs 4.2 billion extra to pay school teachers and Rs 400 million to pay those in the Tribhuvan and Nepal Sanskrit universities. The Centre for Technical Education and Vocational Training requires an additional Rs 35 million to pay its staffers.

Rs 10 million extra has been demanded for employees’ pay in Food for Education programme. Medical and leave allowances for retired staffers will cost the ministry Rs 340 million extra.