Release Rs 143 Cr for paying salaries of SSA teachers: Mehbooba

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today ordered immediate release of Rs 143 crores for paying the pending salaries of teachers working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme in the state.

Mehbooba issued the direction at a meeting here which was attended by Minister for School Education Choudhary Zulfkar and Minister for Finance Syed Altaf Bukhari among others, an official spokesman said.

The SSA teachers have held several protests over the past couple of months demanding release of salaries which has not been paid for several months now.

The Chief Minister also directed constitution of a high level committee headed by Chief Secretary B B Vyas to look into other issues of the SSA teachers and suggest remedial measures to address all concerns in a time bound and comprehensive manner.

The members of the committee include Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Planning and Education Departments while as Director SSA would be the member secretary of the committee.

Mehbooba also asked the Finance Departments to explore further resources to ensure that maximum relief is extended to the SSA teachers' fraternity, the spokesman said.