State government to hike SSA teachers' salaries

Itagar, Nov 22: The Aruchal Pradesh government is considering for enhancement of salaries of contractual teachers working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

This was informed by Special Secretary (Education) Mitali mchoom to the executive members of All Aruchal Pradesh Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers Association (AASSATA) during a meeting here on Wednesday.

The meeting was called as per directive of the chief secretary to discuss the demands and grievances of the SSA teachers in the State, who were on agitation for the past several weeks.

mchoom said the State government was considering enhancement of salaries of contractual teachers working under SSA and RMSA and for the same the education department had put up a cabinet note to be placed in the next cabinet meeting.

“The issue could not be placed in the last cabinet meeting as inter departmental consultation was taking time while following the established codal formalities,” she added.

Regarding regularization of contractual teachers working under SSA, the Special Secretary informed the members that the government has, every year, been regularizing the prescribed quota meant for SSA teachers. However, it is mandatory that all the teachers working under SSA should possess APTET and CTET certificate as the requisite qualification for getting appointment as a teacher in Elementary Education, she added.  “The department will strictly follow the norms and rules led down by MHRD and the Recruitment Rules, to which the department is legally bound. Only TET and CTET qualified SSA teachers will be regularised on the basis of their batch wise seniority,” she said.

While responding to exempt APTET and CTET for the teachers who have crossed their relaxation age for getting regularized, the Special Secretary told the delegates that the criteria related to mandatory qualification has been framed and issued by MHRD and the State government is duty bound to follow the same.