EPS slams DMK govt over non-payment of salary to SSA staff

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday condemned the Tamil Nadu government for not paying salaries to 32,500 Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) staff for September and questioned when the State government can spend several crores of rupees for the Formula 4 car race, why it’s not forthcoming to pay salary to the teachers? He also slammed the government for failing to check the drug menace.

It is ‘unjustifiable’ on the part of the State government to deflect the issue by pointing out the non-release of funds by the Centre, said Palaniswami in his post in X. He also highlighted news reports stating staff recruited under the scheme are caught in a political row between the DMK government at the state and the BJP-led government at the Centre.

Citing the non-release of funds from the Centre for not implementing the National Education Policy 2020, the State government has not released salaries to the SSA staff. “The teachers’ community has been playing a crucial role in shaping the future generation of the state, but they have been left in the lurch as they were left without salary, he said and wondered,” How would they meet their families’ needs and monthly expenses?”

He continued in the same vein and said that this government spent crores of rupees for a car race, but it is not ready to pay the salary to teachers and is deflecting the issue by blaming the Centre for not releasing funds.

“The State government should immediately release funds to pay salaries for the SSA teachers and staff,” Palaniswami added.

He also hit out at the DMK regime that the inaction of the government paved the way for the free flow of drugs in the State. Despite Madras High Court cautioning the government, the CM seems to be least concerned.