HC orders the SSA authority to release proportionate salary to SSA Employees, based upon amount of funds received from Union HRD Ministry...

Spokesman News Service, 1st Nov'18, Chandigarh: Brushing aside the plea of the SSA Authority, Punjab that it was not in a position to immediately release wentire arrears of salaries to SSA Employees with effect from June, 2018 onwards for the reason that the Union HRD Ministry has not remitted its full share of funds for running the SSA Project, the HC Bench comprising Justice Jaswant Singh today directed the respondent State of Punjab and SSA Authority, Punjab to “release proportionate salaries to SSA Employees in the meanwhile, if the Union HRD Ministry has not released its full share of funds for the project.”

The Bench also directed the Secretary, Education, Punjab to resolve the matter with Union HRD Ministry before March 4th, 2019, in relation to regular payment of salaries to SSA Employees. The today’s interim order  was passed by the HC Bench on an application moved by Sunil Kumar and other teachers working under SSA Programme, seeking appropriate directions to the SSA Authority, Punjb and the Union HRD Ministry to resolve the matter between them so as to devise a mechanism for regular payment of salaries to the SSA Employees  every month.

The Counsel for the petitioners argued that this is a very sad occasion that teachers are without salaries w.e.f June, 2018, and are unlikely to get arrears of their salaries till the Deepawali festival, unless the High Court intervenes in the matter. The Counsel for SSA Authority, Punjab pleaded that the Union HRD Ministry had not released its full share (70 %) of funds for SSA Project, while the Counsel for the petitioners contended that Union HRD Ministry has released its share of funds, and  delay in releasing salaries to SSA Teachers is not justified.

He argued that   SSA Authority   has failed to set up its priorities, and it is a regular feature with SSA Authirity, Punjab that the salaries to the employees (teaching as well as non-teaching) are released after a gap of three ,four or five months, which upsets the budgets of those employees.