Shillong, November 12(NNN): Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Thursday said the government is examining the proposal to merge the teaching posts under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) with the Education department.
“The Education department is studying the proposal to merge the teaching posts under SSA with the Education department in whichever feasible, maintainable and sustainable manner,” Rymbui said while replying to the zero hour notice tabled by Mawsynram legislator Himalaya Shangpliang in the Assembly.
The minister however said the financial implication to cover the salary of SSA teachers will be approximately Rs 527.644 crore per annum in addition to other allowances permissible including DA arrears, medical allowances etc, the amount may fluctuate from time to time.
The annual expenditure for teachers’ salary under SSA is Rs 311.47 crore. However, this amount is not consistently released by the government of India due to its new policies and norms on salary capping, he said adding the salary capping shortfall is Rs 35.62 crore.
“Therefore, an additional burden to the state exchequer of Rs 216.174 crore + Rs 35.62 crore = Rs 251.794 crore,” the minister said.
There are over 12,973 SSA teachers in the state, of which 5,814 are working in lower primary schools, 6,727 in 2259 upper primary schools and 432 in 72 schools.
Stating there are other implications of the proposal, the minister said the merging of the SSA posts to state education department may implicate new policy changes relating to recruitment policy, service rules, promotion, and transfer policy but most critical is the management of schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
He said assuming that the SSA schools are under education department control, the status and the role of such school’s managing committee shall remain uncertain, since SSA schools are managed by communities, minorities institutions or private/individual.
“Therefore, a complex situation may arise with regards to recruitment procedures, service rules, promotion, transfer policy etc consequently the merging shall lead to provincialization of schools,” Rymbui stated.
