Encouraging Education: Fund allocation under SSA slashed
Srinagar: After the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), decided to slash the central share for salary of teachers recruited under centrally sponsored scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the state government is contemplating to bear the extra burden of teachers recruited under the scheme in school education department.
The decision has been taken in wake of state government’s failure to go for quality intervention in school education.
“It has been observed that states are not using funds for quality intervention in schools but include it in salary of teachers. MHRD has decided to curtail teachers salary to 60 percent and rest of the 40 percent share for salary will be compensated by the state government,” Anita Karwal additional secretary SSA, said while chairing a meeting of northern region at Taj Vivanta here on Wednesday.
The meeting was convened to take a review of the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes and states’ preparedness for National Achievement Survey 2017-18.
The meeting was attended by the state Project Directors (SPD) of SSA from Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand states. Other officials of the Department from these states were also present in the meeting.
It may be recalled that earlier the funding pattern for the release of SSA salary was 90:10 wherein government of India would release 90 percent share and 10 percent share was provided by the state governments.
“Officially it will be decided in the upcoming Project Approval Board (PAB), meetings of all the states with Secretary MHRD,” Anita said.
Additional Secretary SSA said the central government has already curtailed the allocation towards MHRD therefore the respective states have to compensate maximum share.
“State government has to allocate major share to education sector and make it a priority sector,” she said.
She however, said the fund allocation for education sector has been already curtailed by government of India and same was the case in all states as well.
“These states have a choice of not making education a priority sector,” she said.
She said MHRD Secretary has already conveyed to all chief secretaries to ensure allocation of adequate amount for the school education sector in the State’s Budget for 2017-18.
“In case of uniform which is provided free to government school children at the cost of Rs 400 per student, the state government has to compensate the additional requirement of funds if needed but they don’t do it,” she said.
KV Correspondent
