Bhubaneswar,Nov 29 (Odisha.in) The agitation yielded results with the Chief Minister Wednesday announcing in the state assembly to regularize the services of the Sikhya Sahayaks as Teachers of Primary Schools on completion of six years of engagement, even as the main opposition Congress demanded conversion of the Sikhya Sahayaks as regular teachers.
“The Sikhya Sahayaks, who have completed six years of continuous and satisfactory service, will become eligible to be regular Primary School Teachers under Zilla Parishad”, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the house.
He said the decision would be effective from 1st April, 2008 without any retrospective benefit.
Making a sue motto statement in the house following the mammoth rally before the assembly by the Sikhya Sahayaks, the Chief Minister said that the decision would effective from 1 April, 2008.
Stating that it has been decided to increase the amount of monthly honorariums of various levels of Sikhya Sahayaks, Patnaik said that those who were getting at the rate of Rs.2000 per month would not get Rs.3000.
After completion of three years continuous and satisfactory engagements, honorarium of such Sikhya Sahayaks would be hiked to Rs.3500 per month.
This benefit would be made effective from 1 December, 2007, Chief Minister said.
He also said in order to improve the school education in the state , it has also been decided to increase the level of block-grants and ensure the grant to eligible left out non-government Schools.
Giving details of the provision of block grants- he said, those private high schools already getting block grants on satisfying all the official criteria, would be given increased level of block grants from Rs.1, 68,912 to Rs.3, 65,628 per annum. The above amount includes the provision for an additional peon/watchman per institution over and above the existing staffing pattern for block grant high schools, he said.
Similarly, he said , it has been decided to enhance the amount of the block grant being paid to each UP/ME school is enhanced from the existing level of Rs.33,564 per annum to Rs.68,736.
The consolidated remuneration of teachers engaged on contract basis in different government high schools has been enhanced for trained graduates’ teachers from Rs.2500 to Rs.4000 per month and for non-TGTs from Rs.1500 to Rs.3000, Patnaik said.
Pointing out that the fresh enhancements would be effective from the 1st April, 2008, chief minister said that the educational institutions which were eligible as on 2002 June1 but left out of availing block grant will now be considered for sanction of block grant.
Similarly the educational institutions which have become eligible for availing block grant after 1 June 2002 and before 1 June ,2004 will be have to considered for sanction of block grant subject to the condition that there was no high school in the said Gram Panchayat receiving such grant in aid or block grant, Chief Minister said.
However, the Leader of Opposition, J.B.Patnaik reacting to the Chief Minister’s statement on Sikhya Sahayaks and provision of block grants, demanded the abolition of their gradation systems and regularalisation of their services as regular Primary Teachers.
Besides, the leader of opposition also urged the Chief Minister to stop the Provision of Block grant and to provide all the high schools with full grant-in aids converting all private institutes as government schools.
Odisha.in