Shillong: The issue of Meghalaya’s SSA teachers was raised in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday with AITC MLA from Mawsynram, HM Shangpliang criticising the state government and the finance department.
“Teachers in the state need our attention and care, need to be honoured and shown more respect,” said Shangpliang, accusing the government of neglecting them.
The Mawsynram MLA said in the past few years, a total of 5,814 Lower Primary teachers and 6,727 Upper Primary teachers working under the SSA have been struggling to air their grievances.
The SSA teachers have requested the government for the creation of posts to shift the 12,541 existing SSA teachers from state implementation society to state education department on a regular basis as per provision of RTE and SSA norms.
Referring to the guidelines of the Samagra Shiksha, an integrated scheme, Shangpliang said that elementary teachers working under budget, their salary structure will be determined by the state and there will be no separate teachers as sanctioned by the Centre. Rather all teachers are the responsibility of the state government.
Shangpliang added that under Meghalaya Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules 2011, scales of pay and allowance, medical facilities, pension, PF and other benefits of the teachers shall be that of regular teachers and at par for similar work and experience.
“SSA teachers are deprived of all these entitlements and great injustice has been done to them. The problems of SSA teachers should no longer be kept in abeyance. Immediate action in redressal of their rights should be taken by the government. The SSA teachers don’t get medical leave or are provided any medical assistance in times of maternity leave, they get a fixed salary of Rs 19,044 for LP teachers and Rs 20,493 for the UP teachers. Why is government silent about it?,” questioned Shangpliang.
He further added that this careless attitude of the finance department and the government has forced the SSA teachers to take to the streets.
“Explain to the people where is this money and why is it not released to the education department, so that accordingly it can be released to the SSA teachers?,” asked Shangpliang.
MLA PT Sawkmie said it was sad to see the SSA teachers have time and again been compelled to come out to the streets and go on hunger strikes to demand their salaries.
AITC state president Charles Pyngrope joined in urging the education minister and the finance department to relook at how to solve the problem because not being paid salaries is a sad thing. Citing an example he said what if the Legislators of the Assembly did not get paid. There would be chaos and pandemonium, the MLA quipped.
“I’m sure the education minister would have taken a considerate thought about this, and urge finance department to release the five months salary,” said Pyngrope.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said the government has made efforts to meet various petitions in time, taking into consideration the basic sustenance of teachers especially in these difficult times.
According to the minister, SSA schools are primarily managed by religious institutions, NGOs, private parties, and community based schools. The recruitment and appointment authority are the School Managing Committee (SMC) and the state government is the funding agency depending on the fund release by the Centre.
The education minister denied any delay in releasing the salaries. “The procedure of fund release from the Government of India up to the grassroots level is a lengthy process and diligent procedure needs to be complied to avoid discrepancy,” said Rymbui.
He said the payment of seven months’ salary amounting to Rs. 19,863.20 lakh was released out of the total receipt of fund of Rs 29,535.32 lakh without much delay whenever the funds are released to the state government.