C'garh: 1.5 lakh teachers to be brought under School Edu Dept

The Chhattisgarh cabinet today approved much awaited "merger" of 'shikshakarmi', who are presently working under Panchayats and other local bodies, with the state school education department.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh this evening.

The decision will be effective fromJuly 1, and will benefit around 1.50 lakh shikshakarmi who are presently under the purview of Panchayats and urban local bodies, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ajay Chandrakar said.

In the first phase, merger of 1.03 lakh shikshakarmi who have completed eight years of service will be carried out from the July 1.

The remaining 48,000 shikshakarmi will become eligible for merger into the school education department as and when they complete eight years of service, the minister said.

These shikshakarmi will get the benefit of Pay Commission recommendations which regular teachers get. They will also get pay scale, allowances and other facilities such as appointment on compassionate grounds and promotions to which regular teachers are entitled.

The decision will put a burden of Rs 1,346 crore on the exchequer, the minister added.

On June 10, Chief Minister Raman Singh had announced that shikshakarmi will be brought under the school education department, fulfilling their long-pending demand.

The state cabinet today also approved implementation of the Prime Minister's National Health Protection Mission under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.

Around 40 lakh families will be covered under the scheme in the state, Chandrakar said.

The scheme will be launched on August 15, he said.