Shillong,Apr. 30: (EC of SEMAM and MHRD – PAB already approved, waiting for approval of Ministry of Finance Govt of India for AWP&B for 2017-18 for SSA for Meghalaya. Pending due of revised pay with arrear of Financial year 2016 – 17 will be release on receipt of funds from Govt of India)
In a reply to an Right to Information (RTI ) application filed by an SSA teacher Aristotle C. Rymbai, who is also the President of Meghalaya Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Schools Association (MSSASA), Central Body, it has come to notice that the Government of Meghalaya through the office of the State Project Director Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan State Education Mission Authority Meghalaya (SSA-SEMAM) which is the State Implementation Society who run the SSA programme in Meghalaya had taken into consideration to the demand made by the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) Central Body for relaxation of the fixed remuneration of the untrained Primary teachers and Upper Primary teachers working under the SSA scheme at the Lower Primary and Upper Primary SSA supported Schools in the state who had not met the criteria as per National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) norms and RTE Act 2009 for the financial year 2017 – 18.
Rymbai had filed the application to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan State Education Mission Authority Meghalaya (SSA-SEMAM) relating the demand made by MSSASA in December last year. This demand came after D.P.Wahlang Commissioner and Secretary Education Department who is also the State Mission Director of the State Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya (SEMAM) issued notification on October 31 last year to enhance the salary of SSA teachers comprising 5766 Lower Primary Teachers and 6715 Upper Primary Teachers with effect from 1st April, 2016 based on 2 categories un-qualified and qualified teachers i.e 13,335/- per month for untrained and 19,044/- per month for trained teachers teaching at Lower Primary and 14,392/- for untrained and 20,493/- for trained teachers teaching at Upper Primary level.
Further, MSSASA had demanded for relaxation and re – propose of the revised pay for un-qualified SSA teachers base on the nature of work and duties performed by each SSA teacher is the same and these SSA teachers had already rendered their service in the teaching profession for more than 10 years. Added to this, these teachers have already acquired their Academic qualification as per NCTE norms and MSSASA requested the state government to give them a chance to complete their professional qualification Diploma in Elementary Education so as to fulfill the criteria as per NCTE norms and RTE Act 2009.
Earlier, in December and January last year the delegation of Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) had also met State Project Director and Commissioner and Secretary Education Department, which they had agreed to take up the matter with the MHRD Govt of India in the Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting 2017 for considering the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) for SSA for the state of Meghalaya for the financial year 2017-18.
The application was filed 1 month ago. In its reply to Rymbai, the State Implementation Society SEMAM stated that, in view of the current demand and to assure parity of teachers salary, the EC of SEMAM which was held on February 14 this year had approved the proposal of Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP&B) for financial year 2017-18 for Meghalaya relating to SSA teachers salary apprised and submitted by Ambrose Ch.Marak State Project Director SSA to give the same amount of salary i.e 19,044/- for Lower Primary teachers and 20,493/- for Upper Primary teachers for those SSA teachers who didn’t met the criteria of NCTE norms subject to the condition that these teachers should acquire D.El.Ed qualificatioqualification within a period of 2 years from the date of issue of Notification failing which the lesser amount for enhancement as approved for un-qualified or untrained teachers will be applicable.
Rymbai also said, the State Project Director, Ambrose Ch. Marak, informed the delegation of MSSASA who met him last month that the MHRD Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting which was held on March 2 this year in New Delhi had given its approval to the proposal approved by the EC of SEMAM for SSA for Meghalaya for the financial year 2017-18 and the Meghalaya Government is waiting for the approval of SSA Budget from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) Department of Expenditure Govt of India.
Taking to Media, when asked about the pending revised pay and arrear, Aristotle C. Rymbai said , “T. M. Pyngrope, Deputy Director of School Education and Literacy clearly mentioned in the report that currently the state is having a balance of Rs 21.84 crore and the 2nd Installment from Govt of India (GOI) is still waiting in order to release the pending due of the revised pay and arrear of the financial year 2016 -17 as per the notification issued on October 31 with effect from 1st April 2016. Further the report said currently all SSA teachers are being paid with old rate of salary as the 2nd Installment is awaited from Govt of India and the revised pay will be release with arrear on receipt of funds.