Gujarat government doles out sops ahead of Assembly polls

Agencies

October 19, 2017

Ahmedabad, Oct 19: Ahead of Assembly polls in Gujarat, the state government has announced a slew of sops for teachers, employees of municipalities and others.

The polls are due later this year.The government said "fixed-pay" teachers of government- aided secondary and higher secondary schools across the state would get a significant hike in their salaries.

Employees of 105 municipalities would now get salaries according to the provisions of the 7th Pay Commission.

The Gujarat government also raised the annual income cap from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 2.50 lakh for the 'Ma-Vatsalya' scheme for free medical treatment of up to Rs 2 lakh for serious ailments.

"Till now, only people with an annual income of less than Rs 1.50 lakh were eligible for treatment of up to Rs 2 lakh at any of the government-approved hospitals. Now we have decided to raise this income limit to Rs 2.50 lakh, so that more people can benefit from the Ma-Vatsalya scheme," Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar yesterday.

Around 7,000 "fixed pay" teachers -- whose salaries are fixed for five years -- as well as administrative staff of government-aided secondary and higher secondary schools will be given pay hikes.

"We have decided to increase the monthly salary of 'fixed-pay' teachers of secondary schools from Rs 16,500 to Rs 25,000. Assistant teachers, who used to get Rs 10,500, will now get Rs 16,224.

Administrative assistants will now get Rs 19,950 from the current salary of Rs 11,500," Patel said.

A similar raise has been approved for teachers and administrative staff of higher secondary schools which are dependent on government grants, said Patel, who handles the finance portfolio.

Around 15,000 employees of municipalities will also get a pay hike.

Patel said the government had decided to give permission to 105 local bodies to pay salaries in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission.

"Out of the total 162 municipalities in the state, 105 are paying their employees as per the 6th Pay Commission. Considering their demand, we have decided to allow these 105 local bodies to pay as per the 7th Pay Commission. This will benefit around 15,000 employees," Patel said.

The Election Commission had last week announced the poll schedule for Himachal Pradesh but not for Gujarat, though the terms of both the Assemblies expire almost at the same time.

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World-Class Terminals, Third-World Exits: India’s Airport Connectivity Crisis

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru, Feb 1: For travelers landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the sleek, wood-paneled curves of Terminal 2 promise a world-class welcome. But the famed “Garden City” charm quickly withers at the curb. As India’s aviation sector swells to record numbers—handling over 43 million passengers in Bengaluru alone this past year—the “last mile” has turned into a marathon of frustration.

The Bengaluru Logjam: Rules vs Reality

While the city awaits the 2027 completion of the Namma Metro Blue Line, the interim has been chaotic. Recent “decongestion” rules at Terminal 1 have pushed app-based cab pickups to distant parking zones, forcing weary passengers into a 20-minute walk with luggage.

“I landed after ten months away and felt like a stranger in my own city,” says Ruchitha Jain, a Koramangala resident. “My driver couldn’t find me, staff couldn’t guide me, and the so-called ‘Premium’ lane is just a fancy tax on convenience.”

• The Cost of Distance: A 40-km cab ride can now easily cross ₹1,500, driven by demand pricing and airport surcharges.

• The Bus Gap: While Vayu Vajra remains a lifeline, its ₹300–₹400 fare is often cited as the most expensive airport bus service in the country.

A National Pattern of Disconnect

The struggle is not unique to Karnataka. From Chennai’s coast to Hyderabad’s plateau, India’s airports tell a familiar story: brilliant runways, broken exits.

City: Primary Issue | Recent Development

Bengaluru: Cab pickup restrictions & distance | App-based taxis shifted to far parking zones; long walks and fare spikes reported

Chennai: Multi-Level Parking (MLCP) hike | Passengers report 40-minute walks to reach cab pickup points

Hyderabad: “Taxi mafia” & touting | Over 440 touting cases reported; security presence intensified

Mumbai: Fare scams | Tourists charged ₹18,000 for just 400 metres, triggering police action

In Hyderabad, travelers continue to battle entrenched local groups that intimidate Uber and Ola drivers, pushing passengers toward overpriced private taxis. Chennai flyers, meanwhile, complain that reaching the designated pickup zones now takes longer than short-haul flights from cities like Coimbatore.

The ‘Budget Day’ Hope

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 today, the aviation sector is watching closely. With the government’s renewed emphasis on multimodal integration, there is cautious hope for funding toward seamless airport-metro-bus hubs.

The vision is clear: a future where planes, trains, and metros speak the same language. Until then, passengers at KIA—and airports across India—will continue to discover that the hardest part of flying isn’t the thousands of kilometres in the air, but the last few on the ground.

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