``The Education Department has directed all the district education officers (DEOs) to ensure that school managements prepare the current month salary bills of the striking teachers only upto June 17'', Minister of State for Education Anandiben Patel said here today.

The Minister said the teachers should now withdraw their agitation unconditionally, when the Government had already conceded their two of the three demands, including the problem of surplus teachers and recruitment and protection of non-teaching staff members on the class-to-class basis.

As for the demand of a higher pay-scale (Rs 5,500-9,000) on par with that of the Central teachers, the striking teachers could represent their case to the anomaly committee set up by the State Government. ``If we concede this demand, the government employees of other cadres will raise a similar demand, entailing an additional burden of whopping Rs 1,200 crore on the exchequer'', the Minister said.

But the teachers have not taken very well to the latest setback. ``We will continue fighting. This is a fight for justice and not for money'', said Ashok Patel, one of the office-bearers of the co-ordinating union.

They have threatened to resort to violent means of protest if the same attitude of the government persists. In a statement, they announced a massive relay fast by 50,000 people on June 29, to be followed by a gherao of the State Assembly the following day.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the co-ordinating committee, Keshubhai Patel, was shifted from Gandhinagar civil hospital to Ahmedabad civil hospital in a critical condition.

According to the union, the Government has been inconsistent throughout: first after repeated assurances, they made an effort to conduct the examinations on time and declare the results much before the scheduled time. The Government back-tracked by not keeping its promise. Even now, while the Chief Minister gives assurances, the Minister of State for Education Minister gives contradictory responses.