Rs 100 crore for arrears

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, MAR 27: Around Rs 100 crore is required for clearing the pending arrears and salary of over 12,000 SSA teachers in the state.

This was revealed by the State Project Director (SPD) of SSA-SEMAM Ambrose Ch Marak to a delegation of the Meghalaya SSA Schools’ Association (MSSASA) which met him recently.

The association demanded the immediate release of pending arrears with effect from April 1, 2016 to February this year and one month salary (March) of the 12,481 SSA teachers in the state as per revised pay notified by SSA-SEMAM.

“The SPD informed us that out of the total budget approved by MHRD, at the PAB 2016-17 for Meghalaya, an amount of Rs 100 crore is required for clearing the pending arrears and salary of the teachers,” MSSASA president Aristotle C Rymbai said in a statement issued here.

He said that SPD also informed that only after March 31, it will be able to confirm on the amount to be given to the SSA-SEMAM from the state budget.

Rymbai informed that it was also learnt that the transfer of funds of 2^nd installment by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is still pending which has affected all the SSA teachers in the country.
According to him, the association had urged the SPD to release at least the arrears for the 1 or 2 quarters to the SSA teachers as per availability of funds if the total budget of Rs 100 crore not met within March 31, while for the remaining arrears it is advice to release in one time only when SSA-SEMAM receive the funds.

Rymbai said that the SPD agreed and assured to discuss the points with the Commissioner & Secretary Education department cum State Mission Director SEMAM for further necessary action.

The delegation also informed that as per Section 7 of the RTE Act 2009, it is the concurrent responsibility of both Centre and State Government to provide funds under SSA for the implementation of RTE Act.

It further referred to the letter issued by Ms Surbhi Jain, Director, School Education and Literacy, MHRD Govt of India on November last year to all Education Secretary and State Project Director (SPD) of States/UT’s which  asked them to manage expenses from State Budget till the time MHRD procure budget from Ministry of Finance.

Referring to a recent memorandum submitted on the matter, Rymbai said if the state government fails to fulfill our demands within March 31,  the Association along with SSA teachers and their family members shall move on with agitation program next month.