School Education Department provides ‘progress report’ on mainstreaming exercise
Kohima, October 7 (MExN): Following the announcement of protest from October 12 by the Naga Students Federation (NSF) and the Eastern Naga Students Federation (ENSF) owing to the alleged inaction of the State government with regard to streamlining the 2010 and 2013 batches of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers, the State School education department has requested the federations to reconsider and withdraw the same.
A press release issued by State Principal Director of School Education Shanavas C informed on Wednesday that a meeting was convened on October 6 in Kohima to review the progress of the mainstreaming of SSA and RMSA teachers (2010 & 2013 batches) into the school education cadre.
It was convened by Chief Secretary, in charge, Nagaland J Alam with the concerned departments in his Conference Hall, at the Secretariat, Kohima.
It acknowledged that on October 5, 2018 the State Cabinet in its decision 2018 “agreed in principle to mainstream SSA and RMSA teachers of 2010 & 2013 batches into the State Education Cadre while directing the Department to club/merge unviable schools and give golden handshake to under qualified and untrained teachers.”
Actions taken by the department
The department reported actions taken to fulfil the stipulated conditions and also highlighted the decisions taken in the meeting on September 14, 2020, which were reportedly communicated to the NSF and ENSF on September 23.
According to the department, it was decided that seniority list of SSA and RMSA teachers of 2010 and 2013 batches would be examined and cleared by P&AR department.
Estimation of financial implication on account of mainstreaming and concurrence was to be done by the Finance department.
The decision also included freezing of 75% of the vacancies of teachers occurring annually under Directorate of School Education.
On observation of the above, the proposal for mainstreaming was to be submitted to the Cabinet.
The department said that the P&AR department has already accorded clearance to the seniority list and Finance Department has examined the financial implications.
Additional expense of Rs 82 cr for mainstreaming
The department pointed out that despite the shortfall in the financial support from Government of India towards salary/ remuneration of the teachers and financial constraints of the State Government, the SSA and RMSA teachers of 2010 and 2013 batches are already being given scale pay with regular increments, for which the it has already incurred a cumulative expenditure of more than Rs 300 crore. On account of mainstreaming, the State Government would incur an additional expenditure of about Rs 82 crore, it added.
Given the exercises undertaken and progress made for mainstreaming of the SSA and RMSA teachers, the department requested the NSF, ENSF and the stakeholders to “appreciate the progress made and let the required procedures be observed by the various arms of the Government.”
It requested to reconsider and withdraw the proposed agitation, especially in view of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
It further added that “the State Government is of the view that taking up of internal service matters of Government employees through public agitation is not a healthy precedent as it will cause hardships to the people at large and adversely affect delivery of public service.
