DIMAPUR, MARCH 18 (MExN): The Assam Rifles today issued a clarification regarding the management committee’s decision to close the Assam Rifles Public School (ARPS), Laitkor in Shillong from the next academic session, 2016-2017.
A press note from the AR recalled that in 2006, the Gauhati High Court had ruled in favour of ARPS Staff for payment of pay and arrears as per 6th CPC w.e.f. 2006. The case was subsequently taken up by the Management with the Supreme Court presenting the financial condition of the school for reviewing the High Court’s judgment. The Supreme Court, in a judgment dated July 2015 ruled in favour of ARPS Staff and directed the Management to pay the 6th CPC arrears in eight months i.e by March 20, 2016.
The AR stated that arrears have been paid to the staff as directed by the Supreme Court. The full pay and allowances as per 6th CPC were paid w.e.f Nov 2015 itself which included 119% DA, it added.
The AR informed that the school management committee had worked out that in order to pay the staff as per 6th CPC pay scales, the fees of the children will have to be hiked minimum approx 60% w.e.f next academic session 2016-17. The matter was referred to the Governing Body which after deliberations decided that it would not be feasible to run the institution with such steep hike and the same be closed. Accordingly all parents, teachers/staff were informed in December 2015, the AR said.
The AR however stated that even after that in order to find a via-media for continuation of the school, a series of discussions were held between Management, ARPS Staff & Old Laitkorians (OLA) between November till date in which the financial aspects of the school, its future and measures to continue running the school were discussed at length.
In the initial meetings, the staff proposed to forego their Special Duty and Transport Allowances and take their 7th CPC salaries after three years of its implementation. Based on the initial willingness by the staff to help management find a viable solution to continue running the school in the coming academic year 2016-17, an advertisement seeking fresh admissions was sought through newspaper advertisements. Simultaneously, other options were discussed and worked out between the management and the staff to make running of the school financially viable and also to keep the school fee hike to barest minimum possible. Even then there was a need to hike the School fee by 50% immediately and a further 10 % annually, the AR stated.
It informed that the management also had a meeting with the parents of students in presence of the school staff regarding the proposed school fee hike and in this meeting a large number of parents were unhappy with the proposed fee hike. “All parents were also approached in writing about the proposed fee hike to obtain their willingness. Only 15 parents out of 564 agreed to continue. As of date number of parents have also started asking for TCs. Any reduction in the number of students is likely to further strain the viability of running the school,” it said.
According to the AR, the management had also proposed that since the staff was now getting substantial pay as per 6th CPC, the financial health of school being poor and since the fees of all students was being increased by 50%, the fees paid by wards of the staff would also be increased.
“Till date the staff was paying only Rs 3000/- per annum whereas the Jawan of AR for whom the School was opened, was paying Rs 20,000/- per annum. It is also intimated that 20% and 50% concession was offered to the teaching staff & Group D staff respectively keeping their pay scales in view. The staff insisted that they not be made to pay more and backtracked from all further negotiations,” the AR stated.
It assured that “all-out efforts are being made to ensure that children’s continuation of further education does not suffer and arrangements are being made to enroll them in other ARPS School being run by Assam Rifles, in boarding as well as in schools at Shillong.”
The AR lamented that “despite the best efforts by the management to find a viable solution to continue running the school through dialogue with all the affected parties, the staff is indulging in bringing disrepute to the school and AR.”
