Retrenched Model Cluster School (MCS) Coordinators, who were appointed by the State Government for promotion of girls’ education, staged a rally at the lower PMG here on Thursday demanding reappointment in the job.
The Government had appointed 3,159 coordinators for 27 districts in 2003 to increase the figure of the female literacy and especially to bring girls to the mainstream. They were helping the girls of 6-14-year age group to get into school and bringing the dropouts among girl children back to school. The coordinators were getting Rs 450 per month as travel allowance (TA), but after repeated protests the Government had increased the TA to Rs 1,000 from April 1 last year. In July 21, 2010, the State had given written assurance to fulfil their demands, but surprisingly they were retrenched from June 1 this year.
Over 1,000 members of the State Model Cluster School (MCS) Coordinators’ Mahasangh came in a procession to the lower PMG flaunting placards against the Government’s apathy. They submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the School and Mass Education Minister. The memorandum demanded appointment of the coordinators as Shiksha Sahayaks in primary schools and provision of CT or BEd training for them phase-wise. “If the Government fails to fulfil our demands, we will intensify our agitation at the district level,” said Mahasangh president Bishnupriya Das.