Question Hour At The Assembly: Edn Minister concedes SSA school buildings lapses
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2013: Education Minister M Okendro has conceded that school buildings constructed under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) were not at all satisfactory while some guardians still continue to be members of School Management Development Committees (SMDC) even after their wards passed out from schools.

Replying to a query put up by MLA L Nandakumar, M Okendro stated that as the schools built by SMDC's were far from satisfactory, new initiatives have been put into motion to let the (Education) Department's engineering wing monitor construction of school buildings in the same design and colour.

The Education Minister further admitted that the State Government faced embarrassing situation before the Government of India because the school buildings were not constructed properly nor completed in time.

Replying to a question put up by MLA Dr I Ibohalbi, Labour Minister I Hemochandra said that he realised the difficulties of regularising contract employees in Labour Department even though he recommended the Labour Minister for regularisation of the contract employees when he was the Speaker.

As the Labour Department is allotted funds for specific periods by the Centre, regularisation of contract employees would entail a substantial liability on the State Government.

As such, the contract employees are given consolidated pay.

Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam who is also in charge of Tribal Affairs and Hills Department remarked that tribal people settled in the valley are different from their kinsmen settled in the hills.

Nonetheless, the Government would ensure that different schemes taken by TD and Hills Department cover tribal people scattered in 27 Assembly segments of the valley districts, Gaikhangam stated.

63 posts were approved when United College, Chandel was taken over by the Government, Okendro informed the House in response to a question of MLA Nunglung Victor.

Against the actual posts of 1264 teachers in higher education, 1005 posts are occupied.

The Government would try to fill up the vacant posts once the current academic session is over, Okendro added.

During zero hour, L Ibomcha and Kh Joykishan put forward a proposal to observe two minutes' silence in honour of the 18 martyrs of June, 2001.As this, Speaker Th Lokeshore sought opinion and views of all the Members.

House leader and Chief Minister O Ibobi, while noting that all the Members have ample to their tributes to the martyrs, pointed out that zero hour is meant for drawing attention of the House to important and urgent matters.

Further stating that the proposal was not included in the day's agenda of the House, Ibobi asked all the Members to decide for themselves wisdom of the proposal.

Later, the Speaker resumed the House proceedings in line with the agenda set earlier.

Chandel AC MLA Nunglung Victor sought attention of the House to eviction of people from Naga river colony and the ongoing 48 hours bandh called by the UNC.

RK Anand questioned the news report about some portions of the land where ICP is being constructed.

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