West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Monday announced hike in the salary of para teachers effective from March 1, 2018.

Para-teachers are those who assist teaching in schools and are not full-time teachers.

Chatterjee announcing the pay hike at a rally of TMC para-teachers wing, said 22,085 of them at the primary level and 26,585 at the higher secondary level will be benefitted by it.

He said, parateachers in primary schools will get a monthly salary of Rs 10,000 from the present Rs 5,954, from now on, while those in higher secondary schools will draw Rs 13,000 every month from Rs 8,500 at present with effect from March 1, 2018.

Women para-teachers will get maternity benefits and their retirement age would be 60 years.