SHILLONG: In a major sigh of relief for the SSA teachers in Meghalaya, the Central Government has finally released an amount of Rs 135 crores for pending recurring expenditure of the SSA programme.
Education Minister Lakmen Rymbui on Friday told reporters that with the release of central funds, the SSA programme would now be stabilized and salaries of the SSA teachers will be paid from November last year till March this year.
He said that the Centre released the money after humongous efforts of the Chief Minister and the State Government even as he added that so far, the funds received from Government of India is Rs 20053.000 lakhs and the funds from the State Government is Rs 4309.149 lakhs, totaling Rs 24362.149 lakhs. “The total receipt as of date id Rs 37888.649,” he said
Rymbui also maintained that as per the sanction order, the entire amount has been released under General head (Recurring) for implementation of activities under SSA scheme for SC/ST component during 2017-18
“Payment of salary for the month of November last year to March this year amounting to Rs 13248.10 lakhs will be released as salary teachers,” he added.
Responding to a query, the Minister said that Education department has its own challenges but it is a fun to work in the department
“Many thought we will not be able to perform but see officers are same right from the block level to Secretariat and only the Ministers and the Chief Minister have changed,” he said
On being asked about the presence of so many categories of teachers in the state, he said that there were financial implications and there was a need for the Government to look at the demands of the teachers besides looking at the financial proportion of the state.
He also said that the Government would examine all the genuine demands of the teachers be it their inclusions in the Fifth Pay Commission or any other demands “Let us take one step at a time,” he said.