Eid gift for SSA teachers

SED to release salaries from own resources

SRINAGAR: Walking the talk with the aggrieved Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) teachers in the state, the government on Thursday announced release of their pending salaries before Eid-ul-Fitr, coming mid-June.

Minister for School Education, Haj and Auqaf and Tribal Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today announced that the Government would release salary of teachers of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) before Eid-ul-Fitr, thus bringing much respite to the teachers.

However, the salaries would be paid out from the department’s own resources as the special committee formulated earlier this week has been looking into the modalities of sorting salary issue of SSA teachers.

“Till the issue gets sorted, the department would disburse Rs 143 crore as the salary of SSA teachers from their own resources before Eid so that SSA teachers could take care of their financial issues,” the Minister said.

Earlier on May 12, Zulfkar Ali had given directions to constitute a committee headed by Minister of State for Education, with a mandate to give workable solution within 15 days to resolve the issue of pending salaries.
The Committee is headed by Minister of State for Education, Shakti Raj Parihar, and has Secretary School Education, Farooq Ahmed Shah, Director SSA and Director RMSA as its members.

The committee was asked to submit its report within 15 days to find out a permanent solution to this vital issue confronting SSA teachers.

It may be mentioned here that the funds for salary of SSA teachers are to be provided by the Government of India, the scheme being a centrally-sponsored one.

However, in view of hardships faced by these teachers on account of their salaries, the state government in March this year had released Rs 140 crore to the Education Department for payment of salaries to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers.