The salary for last four months of some 1,47,000 teachers working at various community schools across the country has become uncertain due to lack of funds with the education ministry, Kantipur daily reported.

Although, the ministry requires Rs 4.3 million to pay the teachers their salary for four months, it only has Rs 1.7 million. The ministry has requested the finance ministry many times verbally and in writing to sanction an additional Rs 3 million for the salary of the teachers and other overhead costs.

However, the finance ministry has not sanctioned the amount saying lack of funds.

The teachers, who are going on a vacation shortly, are facing great difficulty as their salary is not paid before the vacations.

Government school teachers are paid a salary of four months three times a year. They have already taken the salary till mid-march. In the previous years, they used to get the salary of mid-march to mid-July period before going for vacations in June end.

Teachers are facing a difficulty after their salary became uncertain due to the lack of preparation on part of the education ministry and the finance ministry.

“It is a shame on part of the government not to pay us our salaries,” said Krishna Prasad Dhakal, chairman of Nepal Teachers’ Union. “They are undermining the value of the teachers’ labour by not paying on time.”

Finance ministry officials said, they could not plan the budget well as the education ministry did not provide the exact data of teachers and their salaries