Panaji, Sep 20 (TOI): The state cabinet on Tuesday hiked the honorarium paid to Bal Rath drivers and attendants by 10%. Drivers will now draw Rs 11,000, while attendants/cleaners will earn Rs 5,500 per month.

The move is expected to benefit around 900 people working for 422 Bal Rath buses in government-aided schools across the state, and comes almost a year after they held an indefinite strike demanding a hike in pay. They had complained that there had been no revision in their pay since 2010, when they were first hired.

Transportation services for hundreds of school children had been affected by the strike, which was withdrawn after the government assured to increase the honorarium paid to schools for the drivers' and attendants' salaries.

Employees had also claimed that some school managements had made them sign vouchers worth Rs 5,000 but had paid them only Rs 3,000. Following this, the directorate of education had instructed schools to transfer salaries directly into the bank accounts of drivers and attendants.