Centre gives Rs 135 crore for SSA

SHILLONG: The Centre has finally released Rs 135 crore for pending recurring expenditure of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme.
Education Minister Lakmen Rymbui on Friday told reporters that with the release of central funds, the SSA programme will now be stabilised and teachers’ salary will be paid from November last year to March this year.
Rymbui said the Centre released the money after “humongous efforts by the Chief Minister and the state government” even as he added that so far, the fund received from the Centre is Rs 20,053 lakh and that from the state government is Rs 43,09.149 lakh, totalling Rs 24,362.149 lakh.
“The total receipt as of date is Rs 37,888.649 lakh,” 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 the SSA scheme for SC/ST component during 2017-18. “Payment of salary for November last year to March this year amounting to Rs 13,248.10 lakh will be released as salary teachers,” he added.
Responding to a query, the minister said the Education Department has its own challenges “but it is fun to work here”. “Many thought we would not be able to perform but see officers are same right from the block level to the 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 there are financial implications and there is 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 the government would examine all the genuine demands of the teachers. “Let us take one step at a time,” he added.