Planning board moves Centre on abrupt funds halt

SHILLONG: The State Planning Board has taken cognizance of the central government’s abrupt move to halt financial assistance under the Backward Regions Grant Fund scheme for construction of nine model schools and hostels in Meghalaya.
Speaking to media persons here, after working group three of the Board held a review meeting with the Education Department, co-chairman of the State Planning Board, John F Kharshiing said the department has already taken up the matter with the Centre but the latter has not yet responded.
The meet reviewed the financial and physical achievements of the plan scheme projects in the department.
Kharshiing also informed that several projects were only 70-80 per cent complete but implementation of the pending work has become uncertain owing to the sudden decision of the Union Government.
Earlier, the working group lauded the department for increasing ( the salaries of teachers, especially the SSA teachers, despite various financial constraints faced by the state in view of the coal ban on mining.
With regard to the implementation of the mid-day meal scheme in the state, he said the major challenge in the implementation of the scheme was revision of the salaries of cooks and helpers who were getting just Rs 1000 per month as salary.
The state government, he said, has asked the Union government to revise their salaries.
The working group meanwhile asked the state education department to lay emphasis on the method of science and mathematics subjects as the government was now facing scarcity of mathematics and science teachers.
It was also informed that all the schools in Meghalaya have been covered under the MIS system.
About the scholarships, Kharshiing said the Union government has taken measures to ensure that one person avails only one scholarship.
Citing figures, the planning board co-chairman informed that in the financial year 2015-16, 46,588 students in Meghalaya received scholarships through direct transfer while the numbers increased to 54,000 in 2016-17.