SHILLONG, Dec 13 - Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today assured the House that the salaries of deficit school teachers would be increased and they need not worry about it.
Replying to a discussion over a Special Motion, moved jointly by Opposition members from United Democratic Party � Paul Lyngdoh and Jemino Mawthoh, Sangma said, that whenever the State Government employees� pay was revised, the deficit school teachers� salary was also hiked.
�There is no scope for worry or tension�we will do it,� Sangma said about increasing the salaries of the deficit school teachers as the 6,000-odd teachers were not included in the list of Government employees whose pay was hiked.
Sangma, however, said, connecting the 5th Pay Commission Pay revision to that of increase of deficit school teachers� pay is wrong as the Commission�s mandate was to look into the pay revision of �only Government employees.�
However, as in 2010, when the Meghalaya United Alliance revised the pay of Government employees and subsequently the salaries of deficit school teachers were also hiked, it would be no different this time too, Sangma assured.
The Chief Minister, moreover, informed the House about social security scheme of the State Government and said that the CM�s Social Assistance Scheme which was implemented a few years back now has provided benefits to 30, 284 single mothers and 53,573 infirm.
Under the scheme, single mothers and infirms are provided a grant of Rs 500 monthly. Sangma said the Government of India provides an additional monthly allowance of Rs 250 to infirm and the State Government is trying to persuade the Central Government to increase this amount and bring it at par with the State Government�s scheme.
On schemes such as SSA and Anganwadi, Sangma blamed the Central Government for non-release of funds which has resulted in SSA teachers and Anganwadi workers not getting their salaries on time.
The State Government, he said, is requesting the Centre to release the salaries on time, however, �if the Centre doesn�t take care of these people, the State would,� Sangma added.