SSA teachers to get revised pay soon

SHILLONG: The State Education department will soon put before the cabinet the proposal approved by the Project Approval Board of the Ministry of Human Resources Development on enhancement of salary of the teachers working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
According to Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Education Roytre C Laloo, the Planning and Finance Departments were examining the 10 per cent allocation of the state’s share to be released after the Center cleared its 90 per cent share of the enhanced salary of SSA teachers.
Once the Cabinet approves the proposal, it will benefit 12, 481 SSA teachers.
Laloo informed this to a delegation of the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) which called on him here on Tuesday.
The Deputy Chief Minister assured the delegation that the enhancement of salary would be effective from Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Aristotle Rymbai, Working President of MSSASA, said, “He (Laloo) informed that the department is still in the process of putting the matter (amount for enhancement) up with the state cabinet.”
The minister informed that the entire process will take time, Rymbai said.
The MSSASA had been demanding enhancement of salary from Rs 9,200 to Rs 30,000 for LP teachers and from Rs 9,900 to Rs 35,000 for UP teachers.
The qualification of teachers will have to be as per NCTE norms according to which the minimum qualification for LP teachers is Class XII pass with 45% aggregate plus Diploma in Elementary Education (DL.ED). For upper primary teachers the minimum qualification is degree with 45% aggregate mark plus DL.ED.
“We have also urged the government to consider deputing more SSA teachers for diploma in elementary education,” Rymbai said adding that 6000 SSA teachers have so far completed the diploma course.