SHILLONG:
SSA teachers may have something to cheer about with the Centre having recently released Rs 272 crore with which their salary arrears could be cleared.
Education minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday said that the Centre sanctioned the funds ten days back which will be transferred this week. “Once we get the fund, we are comfortable to pay not only two months (pending salary to SSA teachers) but three-four months as well,” he added.
When asked, the minister said that the government is yet to take any decision on the need to come up with a mechanism to ensure teachers get their salary on time.
He said since SSA is a centrally-sponsored scheme the state government has to wait for the Centre to sanction the funds.
On July 21, over 12,541 SSA teachers under the banner of the MSSASA called off their indefinite sit-in after the state government released Rs 122 crore for payment of their four months’ pending salary.
Rymbui said that the Education department is very grateful to the finance department for sanctioning the amount from the Corpus Fund last month. He, however, said the amount will be refunded in due course of time.