Shillong, Dec 18: Discontinuation of the Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) would put an additional burden of Rs 500 crore on the state exchequer, and the state government is trying to impress upon the Central government to continue the scheme, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said on Wednesday.
“If the government of India stops or doesn’t continue, we will have to bear the entire Rs 235 crore, plus an increase in salary for Adhoc and SSA teachers, which would be an additional burden of around Rs 100-300 crore,” Rymbui explained.
He told reporters that the state government is facing difficulties in addressing the shortfall.
“The PAB has approved Rs 235 crore, but the Government of India is giving only Rs 139 crore, and the state government has to bear Rs 72 crore. These are issues that are not very easy for the education department or the government to address in one go.”
The minister appealed to stakeholders to understand the government’s challenges and cooperate in addressing the issues.
“We are here to serve the people to the best of our abilities. We are not sitting on one issue, we are dealing with multiple issues that need to be addressed,” he said.
Rymbui assured that the government is committed to delivering its promises and urged everyone to have a mutual understanding of the situation.
“We will try to resolve these issues one by one, with the support of the Chief Minister,” he added.
