The Assam government on Tuesday announced monthly payment of Rs 500 each to nearly 119,000 mid-day meal workers in the state.
State education and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the amount would be in addition to the Rs 1,000 which each mid-day meal cook and helper at government schools receives from the Centre.
“The amount will be paid from April this year and the total sum till September would be deposited in the bank accounts of mid-day meal workers before the Durga Puja festivities,” the minister said while addressing a press conference.
“The finance department has already approved a sum of Rs 34 crore for this move. It would cost the state exchequer an additional sum of nearly Rs 60 cr annually,” he added.
Also read: No nail polish, bangles for mid-day meal workers, says education ministry protocol
Sarma also said that the state Cabinet has decided to address the issue of over 4,000 teachers who were appointed between 1991 and 2001 in primary schools without following all necessary protocols.
“Most of these teachers were appointed though there no such posts and a case in this regard was pending in the Gauhati high court as well. A study done by divisional commissioners found that some of these teachers were getting salaries and had even gone through training while others were getting paid but didn’t have the training required for the jobs,” said Sarma.
{{/usCountry}}“Most of these teachers were appointed though there no such posts and a case in this regard was pending in the Gauhati high court as well. A study done by divisional commissioners found that some of these teachers were getting salaries and had even gone through training while others were getting paid but didn’t have the training required for the jobs,” said Sarma.
{{/usCountry}}He said that 1,574 teachers, who had undergone training, would be employed as regular teachers beginning November this year while 2,960 others would be used as tutors.