Demands salary; warns government of action
Dimapur, March 9 (EMN): In the backdrop of the Nagaland government still not paying teachers their salary, the Nagaland SSA Teachers’ Association (NSSATA) has issued a statement elaborating what it called the funding pattern for the centrally sponsored scheme the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The organisation issued the statement on Thursday demanding that the government fulfil the written assurance on November 2 ‘issued by the Commissioner & Secretary’ by paying all the pending salaries from November 2016 to February 2017 along with arrears. According to the NSSATA, the central government releases adhoc grants in April every year for start-up programme “followed by two instalments...” The first instalment is released in April for expenditure between April to September followed by the second instalment in September for expenditure between October to March. The statement explained in one good length: “The Project Approval Board (PAB) GoI rules/guidelines and procedure for release of funds, clearly states that whenever the government of India releases the fund to the State Exchequer, the state has to immediately transfer the entire amount to its implementing agency (SMA) not later than 15 days and the state government have to deposit its matching share (i.e. 10%) to the state society within 30 days of the receipt of the central fund and thus submit the Utilization Certificate on time to ensure smooth implementation of the programme.” The organisation also noted: according to a press release on March 8, by FB Solo, Principal Secretary to the government of Nagaland relating to delay in payment of teachers’ salaries under the centrally-sponsored scheme of SSA (school education), “it clearly points out the fact that the Nagaland state government has not been adhering to the central funding pattern.” For this, the organisation stated, the question of delay in “releasing of funds from MHRD and payment of (2010 & 2013 batch) teachers’ salaries does not arise.” The NSSATA has demanded that the government fulfil the written assurance by paying all the pending salaries from November 2016 to February 2017 along with the arrears of 2016 ‘immediately.’ “Failing in complying to the written assurance will constrain the teachers to apply any form of action to fight for our survival and livelihood,” the teachers added.
‘Procedures for release of SSA funds as per MHRD guidelines in comparison with funds received by Nagaland (Source: NSSATA)
