By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Close on the heels of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers’ demand for the immediate release of the pending salaries, the Education Department has informed that the funds have been released to the districts for disbursal to the teachers.
Terming the late sanctioning of funds by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) as the reason for the delay official sources from the Education Department on Saturday said, “The second installment was sanctioned in the later part of March, which led to the delay in the disbursement of the salaries.”
“After receiving the funds, we had immediately taken steps to release the same,” official sources added.
Informing that the department had paid the salaries of the teachers in full till November 2012 before the funds were exhausted, official sources said that the State Government had requested the HRD Ministry for release of the second installment in November last year.
Regarding enhancement of salaries, official sources pointed out that SSA Meghalaya can only project the need, but it was upto the Centre and the Project Approval Board to consider the proposal as funding for the same comes from the Centre.
The SSA teachers had demanded a hike from the current Rs 6000 to 12, 000 besides asking the government to regularize their posts.
Meanwhile, official sources claimed that there
has been substantial improvement in the functioning of the SSA in the last two years with textbooks arriving on time at commencement of academic session, child tracking system (CTS) of children being initiated, besides active collaboration with about 14 NGOs for out of school children, development of Special Training Module, stricter monitoring like Third party evaluation of Civil Works, etc.
There are over 4000 teachers teaching in more than 1000 SSA schools established in the 11 districts of Meghalaya.
