Lucknow, May 16 -- Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Thursday approved a proposal to increase the honorarium payable to contractual pilots, co-pilots , engineers and other technical and non-technical staff of the state's civil aviation department. The honorarium of pilots has been increased to range of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh from the existing range of Rs 2.5 lakh to 7 lakh. The honorarium of co-pilots has been increased to range of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 7 lakh from the existing level of Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 6 lakh. Minister for finance Suresh Khanna said the pilots, co-pilots and others are getting higher wages and thus retaining them was becoming difficult. He said they have not been given the scales of seventh pay commission as has been given to other staff of the state government. He said the honorarium of the pilts has been increased by 10 percent and the increase in the honorarium to pilots and co-pilots would cause an additional burden of Rs 5.27 crore to the state exchequer. htc...