Over Rs 5,000 cr needed for solving problems in education dept: Rymbui

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 2, 2019

SHILLONG: The state government would require a one-time special assistance of over Rs 5,000 crore for resolving all the problems faced by the education department including issues related to the different categories of teachers in the state. 

This was informed by the education minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Monday while reacting to a query on the deficit school teachers’ decision to observe a black flag day during the upcoming Teacher’s Day celebration as a mark of protest against the government’s indifferences towards their demands.

The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) and Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees’ Association (GHDSTEA) had expressed concern over failure of the government to fully implement the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission which include the delay in reasing the 25 per cent arrear of the revised pay. 

Stating that the teachers have the right to express their concerns, Rymbui told reporters that his department is dedicating its time to find solutions in resolving the problems of the teaching community. 

He informed that the various pending issues include the need to increase the salaries of the adhoc teachers, salary of the fourth teachers, regularize the services of the SSA teachers, lump sum grant, opening of community colleges and residential schools besides others.

“We would need roughly around Rs 5,000 crore as one-time special assistance to resolve all these problems,” Rymbui said adding “The chief minister is also taking the education sector very seriously and I hope slowly we will be able to solve these problems.” 

According to him, the government also requires Rs 300 crore for opening of as many as 20 residential schools in the state.

Asked, the minister said the state government and the education department at present are working under tremendous constrains. 

“Therefore, I feel we should work under any pressure or deadline because we are committed in resolving all these issues…I am not interested in stop gap solution but I want to streamline the categories of teachers and it is a work on progress,” he said. 

The minister also said that the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) has observed in one of the meetings that the problem faced by a small state like Meghalaya is the existing of too many schools. 

“The MHRD has also pointed out the mismatch between the number of teachers and the students’ enrollment, which however I had defended that this was because Meghalaya has more than 6,000 villages and also due to its typical terrain and remoteness,” he said. 

Having said this, Rymbui however asserted the need to take a decision against the schools with ‘single-digit’ enrollment of students.