SSA imbroglio
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2013: The All Manipur School Management and Development Committee Association has alleged that unwanted political interference in collusion with 'unfit' bureaucrats has derailed SSA programme/RTE Act in the State.

"Political interference, centralisation and contract ridden approaches leading to commercialisation in the implementation of the beautiful flagship programme is to be seriously viewed by all right thinking individuals, CSOs, parent/guardians associations and students' bodies in order to save the programme in the State," said a statement issued by the AMSMDCA president, Horngam Keishing today.

The statement pointed out that distribution of uniforms to student, upgradation of schools and infrastructure development of schools are the areas where disorderliness prevailed under SSA.

Elaborating, the statement said the SPD's order to the district for entrusting supply work for school uniforms to a firm based in Bangalore was strongly objected by an influential student body.

It also pointed out that transferring all funds relating to civil works to the newly constituted 'Engineering Wing' by wilfully ignoring the existence of the in-house Engineering Cell of SSA which has more staff than the former amounts to gross violation of norms laid down in SSA/RTE Act and against the Project Approval Board (PAB) rule.

It asserted that PAB approvals in the annual work plan and budget cannot be changed or rectified at the State level by any means and all the PAB approvals are to be strictly complied with.

It added that neither the SSA State Mission Authority nor any new body like the State Advisory Council at any circumstances can violate or rectify the RTE Act/PAB approvals though Education is in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution.

Any kind of modification of an Act is subject to go through amendment by the Parliament and obtain final approval from the President as well.

Questioning the silence of concerned authority over the matter, the statement urged concerned legislators to bring the matter in the ongoing Assembly for healthy deliberation.

It also pledged to fight till justice prevailed in the matter.

Comment