The school education department is likely to face major crisis on account of salary of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released funds as per unit cost of the scheme meant for the salary of teachers.
The secretary MHRD Anil Swarup and other officials of MHRD, while charring annual Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting for the year 2018-19 with J&K’s school education department, refused to be “sympathetic” towards the state and provide additional funds under salary component. “Our officials who were present in the meeting tried their best to motivate the MHRD secretary, joint secretary and deputy secretary to provide extra funds to meet out salary budget of SSA teachers but it didn’t work,” said an official privy to the meeting which was convened on June 20 in New Delhi.
The official said the education department, as per the requirement, had proposed its plan seeking release of Rs 2300 crore for the year 2018-19 for salary of SSA teachers against which MHRD agreed to release only Rs 970 crore for the year. “They (MHRD) officials made their stand clear and told the representatives of the education department from J&K state to manage additional requirement out of their state budget and said they will provide only supportive funding as per unit cost mentioned in the norms of SSA scheme,” the official said.
The official added that the state this year had proposed the salary of SSA teachers as per the 7th pay commission but it didn’t serve any purpose. “As per 6th pay commission our requirement was around Rs 1900 crore to meet out salary of SSA teachers but this year we had submitted our plan as per 7th pay commission and amount was projected as Rs 2300 crore,” the official said, adding that under 7th pay commission the state needs to manage additional Rs 40 crore to meet the salary budget.
The official said that till last year the department would submit proposal for the salary of SSA and RMSA teachers but this year a joint annual plan was submitted under integrated scheme, Smagra Shiksha Abhiyan. “So this year we had to include Rs 480 crore for salary of RMSA teachers,” he said.
Pertinently, MHRD from 2018-19 financial years has decided to prepare a flagship programme called Samagra Shiksha which subsumes all the three other schemes – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
The official said the MHRD as per norms of the scheme releases Rs 15000 per month for each SSA primary school teacher, Rs 20000 for SSA teachers appointed in Upper primary school, Rs 25000 for teachers appointed in high schools and Rs 30000 per month for head teachers of upper primary school. “But here in state the pay scale of all the category of teachers is almost double than what is given by MHRD which creates salary deficit every month and force teachers to hit roads,” the official said.
Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) G N Itoo, who also attended the meeting with secretary MHRD, confirmed that the salary of SSA teachers would be released as per unit cost. “But we have sought one time additional funding from MHRD given the issue of 7th pay commission and to release salary of SSA teachers for February month which is a liability with us. MHRD has agreed to provide additional funds separately but not as part of PAB meeting,” he said.