PANAJI
In the face of the threatened strike by drivers and attendants from Monday, it has now come to light that the State government has approved a modified or revised the 'Balrath' scheme to finance government and aided schools to manage transportation of their students.
Education Director, Shailesh Zingde, had issued the detailed scheme in the first week of July by which remuneration to the drivers and attendants was stipulated at 11 months instead of the earlier ten with a one-month break in May.
The new scheme also fixes the drivers' monthly remuneration at Rs 12,000 and that of the attendants/cleaners at Rs 6,000. It also provides for a 5% increase in the remuneration every year.
The association of Balrath drivers and attendants, United Balrath Employees Union, which has threatened to strike from Monday however, has been demanding Rs 20,000 and Rs 14,000 respectively and pay for all the 12 months, besides other service conditions like job security.
Under the new revised scheme school managements are eligible for a recurring annual grant of Rs 4.17 lakhs which is to be released once a year in July on submitting the accounts of the previous year.
This grant includes up to Rs 50,000 or the actual cost of the vehicle's repairs, maintenance and insurance, besides fuel costs up to a maximum limit of 300 litres per month.
However, schools which have already availed school mini-buses under the Indira Balrath, Gomanth Balrath, Suvarna Balrath or similar government schemes will not be eligible for the revised scheme.
Beneficiary schools are required to maintain a separate account for the Balrath scheme and have the leeway to finalize the route on which the bus should ply but a supporting resolution of the school's Parent Teachers Association (PTA) is a prerequisite.
The Balrath employees are expected to converge at the Azad Maidan on Monday and strike there until the government agrees to their demands. If the union goes ahead with their planned stir on Monday, it could throw into disarray the transportation of students in schools across the State.
Besides the higher remuneration, the union is also demanding regularisation of service of those who have completed continuous five years service.
Under the old scheme, drivers get Rs 10,000 a month while attendants/cleaners are paid Rs 5,000 per month with a two-month break during the summer vacations in April-May.
