SETAN questions govt on status of IEDSS scheme in Nagaland

DIMAPUR, JUNE 18 (MExN): The Special Education Teachers Association Nagaland (SETAN) today questioned the Nagaland State Government as to why the Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary State (IEDSS) scheme has been in a standstill in Nagaland state. 

Pointing out the findings of the Vigilance Commission in 2015, which established “misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 12.79 crore, meant for specially abled children by officials of the School Education Department,” a press note from the SETAN President, Honwang Konyak asked why the department has failed to produce utilization certificates; and why recovery of “misappropriated fund” has not been fully made from the erring officials. 

It informed that the Nagaland government received funds for implementation of the IEDSS Scheme during 2011-12 and appointed around 391 Special Education Teachers (SET) in 2012 to carter to the needs of children with special needs. 

“Unfortunately the government and the department has evidently and drastically failed at proper implementation of the scheme in accordance with the MHRD directives and guidelines and have put the scheme on suspension since it failed to produce utilization certificate to the MHRD owing to the misappropriation of funds by its officials,” the SETAN said.

During its investigation, the Vigilance Commission’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) found 360 genuine SETs eligible for salary and extension of further service. The SETAN informed that “all the genuine teachers were attending regular classes and had been teaching general subjects assigned to them without fail even when the government delayed payments of salary extending to years. In addition to that the Teachers being yet to attain required training were paid only Rs.8500 per month just one-third of the actual prescribed amount of Rs.24,850 by the MHRD.”

Informing that most of the SETs undertook six months foundation courses from RCI recognized institutions outside Nagaland on their own expense, the SETAN said that the department “turned a blind eye to the efforts and diligence of the aggrieved SETs” and served termination orders without any prior notice during August 2016. This was done citing lack of funds and that the SETs lacked training “which the department failed to provide.” 

The SETAN expressed concern that the “life and future of 360 SETs and the future of thousands of children with special needs have been side-lined and played with by the department and government.” “It is also unlawful and illegal on the part of department to terminate the SETs as long as the scheme exists as the appointment order clearly states that the post is co-terminus with the scheme/project for which the association has taken the matter to court and the case still ongoing,” it added.

It said that as long as the Nagaland government fails to provide Utilization Certificate to the MHRD, the Centre will withhold release of funds. “The IEDSS Scheme with 100% central assistance is meant for the differently abled children with student-oriented components, such as medical and educational assessment, books and stationery, uniforms, transport allowance, reader allowance, stipend for girls, support services, assistive devices, boarding the lodging facility, therapeutic services, teaching learning materials, etc,” the SETAN said. 

Other components like appointment of special education teachers, allowances for general teachers for teaching such children, teacher training, orientation of school administrators, establishment of resource room, providing barrier free environment, etc are also at stake of being stopped owing to negligence and misuse of funds, it added. 

Demanding that the scheme be revived, the SETAN appealed to all citizens, organizations and NGO's to “voice out against the injustice meted out to the aggrieved teachers and the children with special needs sabotaging their right to Inclusive Education depriving them of their special services and support provided by the Centre.”