SHILLONG:
Ronnie V Lyngdoh said the budget allocation for Education in the country is a measly three per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“You want to have an educated population then provide more funds,” Lyngdoh told The Meghalayan.
He said that if the teachers of the state have gone to the streets demanding better wages it is not the fault of the state government, but the Centre is to be blamed.
The Mylliem MDC and former MLA said that Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) is centrally-sponsored scheme and if the Centre does not release the funds how will the state pay the salaries of these teachers.
Lyngdoh said that Meghalaya is a revenue-starved state unlike other states of the country.
“The government of India should look into this and provide more funds, because once you can educate the population of the country all other things can be taken care of,” the MDC said.
He also said that there are policies in place and even if the Centre does not like a particular state government funds should still be provided.
“That is not how the country should be run,” Lyngdoh said.
He also said that it is the duty of the state government to impress upon the central government to provide funds.
“If SSA teachers’ salaries have not been paid because of lack of funds then it is the Centre that is to be blamed,” he reiterated.
Lyngdoh said that present Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government is an ally of the NDA government at the Centre and, therefore, there should not be any problem.
“The present dispensation is in the NDA so there should not be any problem in getting funds,” he added.
Lyngdoh said that the teachers of the state are living on debts.
He wondered how the teachers will be able to discharge their duties when they are not being paid for what they are doing honestly.
Lyngdoh said that sadly in India, education is not a priority. He said that the central government is coming up with policies which are going to be detrimental to the future generations just for their electoral gains.
Lyngdoh said that the National Education Policy (NEP) and the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) are not providing level playing field for everybody.