Shillong, October 03: The Balance of 2nd Installment of Government of India Share under SSA for the year 2016-17 has been released by MHRD to Government of Meghalaya since February, 2017. The SSA teachers said that 8 months pending Arrears of SSA Teachers with effect from July 2016 to February 2017 are not being paid. The whole problem is the result of failure of the HRD Ministry to transfer the sanctioned budget under SSA to State as per schedule date.
The 5766 Lower Primary and 6715 Upper Primary Teachers employed under the elementary education scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) are unhappy with the education department and the MUA – II Government for not releasing their 8 months pending arrears of last financial year and salaries for 2 months August and September of current academic year.
An organization representing the SSA teachers in the State, the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) has demanded that the government release their arrears and salaries at the earliest in a representation submitted today addressed to W.R. Lyngdoh Secretary Education Department Government of Meghalaya and Ambrose Ch. Marak State Project Director (SPD) SSA,SEMAM.
MSSASA – Central Body President Aristotle C. Rymbai on a press release today, expressed displeasure that now and then their salaries have been disbursed irregularly since the commencement of the current academic year. Yet again, the “ 8 months Arrears of the SSA teachers with effect from July 2016 to February, 2017 of the financial year 2016-17 are not being paid and remained pending till date”.
“In the last 4 years we were faced with problems of no-receipt and irregularity of salary and the same continued since the beginning of the current academic year, consequently, a representation was submitted before your authority to take note of our grievances and your authority taking our plight into consideration disbursed our 8 months arrears and 2 months salary at the earliest” MSSASA stated in their representation to the education department”.
However, MSSASA President said, the irregularly continues to reoccur as in the past. The past inconveniences has been faced by us time and again as our 8 months arrears and 2 months salary are still pending and we are desperately in need of our pending wages. Besides that we would like to question the competent authority as to why the Education Department and the State Implementation Society SSA-SEMAM after releasing the 3 months arrears delaying to release the last year 8 months pending arrears of SSA teachers though MHRD Department of School Education and Literacy has released the fund of 2nd Installment of Govt of India share under SSA for the year 2016-17 to Government of Meghalaya since February, 2017 whereas we the SSA teachers are not being paid?, the organization complained.
“Like any other social beings, we too have our own obligations to the family and society as a whole; moreover due to irregular transfer of salary and pending arrears most of the SSA have to borrowed money from other sources to pay the course fees to get enrolled for D.El.Ed programme of NIOS which has made mandatory for all in-service untrained teachers teaching at elementary level (class I-VIII) to enroll themselves for the professional training on or before September 30 as per notification issued by MHRD Govt of India on August 3and the Education Department Government of Meghalaya on August 10 apart from paying our kids school fees, house rent, electricity bills, and others daily needs requirements, added to these festive season has also approached which the teachers are desperately in need of their pending wages” Rymbai explained.
Rymbai said, they are not blaming only the Meghalaya Government education department for irregular transfer of their salary but its also the fault of MHRD Govt of India because “as per SSA-RTE framework and Project Approval Board (PAB) Minutes the scheduled date for released of funds under SSA will be in two installments, the Ad hoc Installment will be released in the month of April, 1st Installment will be released in the month of June and the 2nd Installment is to be released in November after submission of audit report by States/UTs’ government” but the delayed and non-transferred of funds by MHRD to States/UTs’ government within the time bound manner has creates several problems which we teachers have to faced it now and then and is the responsibility of both MHRD Govt of India and State Government to ensure that budgets under SSA is transferred in time.
“We have requested the education department “to address the matter and release the pending arrears and salaries at the earliest on or before October 20, so that any further agitation by the SSA teachers can be averted in coming days or situation should be out of control as SSA teachers patience will be out of control”, Rymbai added.
Earlier, the State Implementation Society SSA,SEMAM released 3 months arrears April to June, 2016 and salary of current academic year till the month of July after around 8000 thousands SSA teachers along with their family members come out on roads and hold protest on April, 12 this year.
