Meghalaya govt approves new pay revision for deficit teachers

SHILLONG, JUN 8: The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government on Friday finally decided to extend the benefits of the pay revision as per recommendation of the fifth pay commission for teachers of deficit schools and colleges across the state.

The proposal to implement the new pay revision for teachers was approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister Conrad Kongal Sangma on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, education minister Lahkmen Rymbui said, “We have decided to extend the pay revision as recommended by the fifth pay commission to the deficit school and college teachers with effect from January 1, 2017.”

He also announced that the revised salary will be paid from next month while the arrears from January 2017 to June 2018, will be released in four instalments, 25 per cent each.

The education minister informed the government would have to shell out an additional amount of Rs 84 crore to implement the pay revision while Rs 126 crore for paying arrears to the teachers.

At present, the state government is spending around Rs 278.39 crore on the salaries of the deficit school teachers annually.

“With the implementation of the new pay, the Government will be spending more than Rs 362 crore yearly on the salaries,” Rymbui said.

Asked, the education minister said that despite the financial crises, the government would try its best to fulfill its obligations.

“We have to find ways to tab additional resources,” he said. According to him, the education department has to spend 90 per cent of its budget for payment of salaries thereby leaving very less amount for providing infrastructure for schools.

The state Education Minister also informed that there are 136 deficit Upper Primary Schools in the state with 877 teachers wjile in Lower Primary schools there are 3852 teachers in 1911 schools.

In the 121 Deficit Secondary Schools there are 382 non-teaching staffs, 1981 teachers while in 17 Deficit Higher Secondary there are 129 teachers and 57 non-teaching staffs.

Meanwhile, in the nine Deficit Pattern Secondary Schools, there are 85 teachers and 17 non teaching staffs. More over in the 15 Deficit Colleges there are 36 teachers and 245 non-teaching staffs.

By Our Reporter