Pune: After nearly 3,800 contractual employees working under the Samagra Shiksha scheme across Maharashtra faced job uncertainty following the programme’s abrupt halt on March 31, the state government issued a clarification on April 4, stating that the scheme has not been permanently discontinued and may be reinstated in a revised form.
The centrally funded scheme, which integrates school education from pre-primary to Class 12, ceased operations on March 26, with contractual appointments ending on March 31.
“Fresh appointments, typically renewed after a brief break, were expected from April 2 but have not materialised, leaving thousands of us without income,” said an affected employee.
The affected workforce includes engineers, programme officers, MIS coordinators, computer programmers, accounts staff, research assistants, and data entry operators deployed at state, district, municipal, and taluka levels.
Issuing an official clarification, the Maharashtra Primary Education Council stated that the scheme’s future roadmap, including staffing, is under consideration at the central level. It indicated a possibility that the scheme could be reintroduced in a more effective form.
“No employee lost their job and there has been no directive to cease work,” said a programme officer from the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP). “The programme is undergoing a transitional phase and is expected to realign with the principles of the National Education Policy (NEP). Future iterations of the scheme are likely to incorporate components such as digital inclusion, vocational education, and data-driven governance. While this process may take some time, the scheme itself is expected to continue in an updated and more comprehensive form.”