About 750 Shikshakarmis are on the verge of abject poverty after the State Government failed to disburse their salaries since past three months in a row. According to them, their salaries are due from January this year. The block president of Shikshak Panchayat Samiti Mohan Rajput and
Kumar Chandrakar said, Shikshakarmis were facing severe financial crisis that they were unable to pay house rent, school fees of their children and other daily requirements including their bread and butter. “It is a very horrible situation that they are leading a very humiliating life even in their families as they are unable to pay for their basic needs threatening to their very survival”, they observed.
“Even daily wagers and labourers get their wages every week”, he noted regretting “but there is no such provision yet that the poor Shikshakarmis are able to draw their salaries at least at the end of every month”.
An official in the Education Department said, State Project Office, in fact, wanted to pay them their arrears till March 31 under Rajeev Gandhi Shiksha Mission and also the salaries. But in reality, there was only Rs 60 lakh left with the Block Source Office, which was not even sufficient to pay for their monthly salary, added the officer.