Sakshar Bharat stumbles in state; Workers without pay for 28 months

Shonaam Tabri Dada

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has held that the principle of 'equal pay for equal work' has to be made applicable to those engaged as daily wagers, casual and contractual employees who perform the same duties as the regulars. But this is not apparent at the grassroots level in Arunachal Pradesh, especially in the case of SaksharBharat Mission (SBM).

An ambitious national flagship programme launched by the government and executed by Arunachal Pradesh in 2009-10 to promote adult education, especially of women, SBM was designed to extending education options to adults who lost the opportunity of access to formal education and crossed the standard age of receiving such education.

Those who now feel a need for formal education of any type, including literacy, basic education, vocational education, physical and emotional development, practical arts, applied science, sports and recreation has been procured the 60-71% in the state.        

SBM entailed appointing six state coordinators, 60 district coordinators/preraks covering 152 blocks and 1,713 Gram Panchayats with the target of achieving 2,16,325 adult learners. The monthly pay for each coordinator and prerak was declared to be Rs 6,000 and Rs 2,000.

Accordingly, the programme was launched in three phases in the state – first phase during 2010-11 for five districts, second in 2012-13 for seven districts and the third in 2013-14 for a few other districts. The sad part was the fund provision and separate grant were not allocated, nor was the third phase included or informed to the Centre.

In March 2011, exam in 12 districts were conducted where it showed a mass participation and good results. Much to everyone’s surprise, the present government never knew the existence of the programme until a letter reached the BJP office.

The alumni head of SBM is Director General (DG) Literacy Mission but frequent change of the person at the helm has affected the morale of lesser employees of the department. This is the primary reason for the downfall of ‘equal pay for equal work'.

“The need is for a permanent DG of Literacy Mission who can understand the weather, multi-cultural tribes and sub-tribes problems, the ground situation of far-flanged districts situated in uncontrolled topography,” said AK Sharma, Nodal Officer in the Directorate of Secondary School.

Sadly, most of employees of this flagship programwithout honorarium from the past 28 months. Salary for three months from September has been provided to the beneficiaries by Direct Benefit Transfer though.

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“Rs 2.16-crore is the annual requirement for the state for timely and equal pay to the employees. Due to the negligence by the state as well at the Centre the amount has not been received in the last four years,” Sharma said.

A letter received by the Union HRD office said action will be taken in due course of time. Government, suspecting foul play, has given a circular to each district to provide details of work done. The norms include authentic documents provided with photographs, and signature of the PRI concerned.

The programme was conceived as voluntary, but Preraks were recruited due to the lack of volunteers. Many states in the North East have achieved the target of SBM and states like Mizoram did it without the Centre’s assistance. Tripura attained 80% of the target under SBM and promises to go 100% soon.

“There are many problems when it comes get 100% result under SBM in a state like Arunachal Pradesh where there is no proper road connectivity. But it can achieve if there is call from inside of an individual to teach and make a change in a society,” Singh said.

All Arunachal Pradesh Saakshar Bharat Mission Employee Association (AAPSBMEA) had many a time submitted memorandum to state government and to state BJP President Tapir Gao for immediate release of 28 months’ payments, implementation of ‘equal pay for equal work’ programme in all 1,713 Gram Panchayat and continuation of SBM programme, regularisation of SBM Employee and enhancement of honorarium. 

SBM programme, launched by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009, is a centrally sponsored scheme of Department of School Education and Literacy under MHRD. It has failed in the state.

Under SBM, the state did reach out to 1,49,262 people, mostly women, who passed the basic literacy exam of class II level as conducted by the National Institute of Open School, New Delhi.

It is pretty obvious that regularization of the job, enhancement of honorarium and implementation of ‘equal pay for equal work’ is a futile demand from the working section.