SHILLONG, MAY 1: Terming the teachers’ felicitation of the government as his “greatest satisfaction,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday said the structured pay framework for SSA and 4th teachers would be judged not by its fiscal cost but by “the lives that we transformed” and the “lakhs of smiles” it brings.

He was speaking at an honouring ceremony organised by the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) and Meghalaya 4th Teachers Association at Students’ Field, Jaiaw, to mark the state government’s decision to implement the pay structure for enhanced service protection and financial stability.

Sangma opened by expressing gratitude for the large gathering of teachers.

“I must take this opportunity to really express my sincere gratitude to all of you. Very rarely does it happen for politicians especially that we are honored and we are thanked for whatever we do,” he said.

“But as Christians we always believe that kindness and gratitude is something that should be part of as human beings and I am so happy that today the Meghalaya SSA School Association as well as the 4th Teachers Association in thousands, I was surprised to see the number of teachers out hear,” he said.

“On behalf of my entire cabinet, I would like to thank you for organizing this wonderful programme,” he added.

The Chief Minister said the decision’s real value was in its reach across families and students.

“For me personally, this may be one of the most satisfying days in the last many years of working for the people and serving the people,” he said.

“I have always believe that the greatest satisfaction for me is to be able to bring a smile to my people’s faces and today there are 23000 smiles and the family members put together maybe a lakh smile that are there today and of course, the students if we put them together there will be many-many lakhs smiles that we are being able to achieve,” he said.

“That is the true satisfaction for any leader and specialy for me to see that we are being able to serve and make a difference and take those tough decisions, decisions which are normally not easy to take,” he added.

Recalling the cabinet decision, Sangma pointed to the financial complexity.

“I wish I could show you the pictures of the moment when we actually took that decision… you should have seen the face and the tension on the finance department’s face and therefore, all of us are tense but the finance department’s officials had an even more tense faces,” he said.

The state government would be spending over Rs 800 crore annually for implementation of the new pay structure.

The CM however argued that the outlay must be viewed through its long-term impact.

“This financial impact that we are going to have cannot be judged in terms of the rupees we spent. It can only be judged in terms of the lives that we transformed, it can only be judged in terms of how we will take Meghalaya state forward, it can only be judged through how we will be able to create more responsible, qualified and better citizens for our state and for country,” Sangma said.

“If you look at money and try to value or put a cost in it from a monetary point of view I think we are missing the picture and we are missing the point, we are missing the purpose and the goal,” he said.

The Chief Minister traced the process back to his tenure as MP.

“What we are experiencing today and how we have reach here today… has been a very long difficult journey. We have been through alot. you have sacrificed alot. You have gone through a lot of pain and you have gone through alot of struggle,” he said.

“I am only happy that I could be part of this journey with you from 2016 when I was a member of parliament till the point today when we are actually able to come to some kind of solution to ensure that the service that are being given by our teachers is recognized. The dignity that you deserve is given, the financial stability that your family and individually at your level that you deserved is being given,” he said.

Sangma credited multiple stakeholders for the breakthrough.

“I also would like to thank the education department as this would not have been possible without the hardwork put in by the minister’s concerned and the officials concerned. The problem that was infront of us was very complex and hence past governments have difficulties in finding a solution,” he said.

“But it is the will, it is the decision and desire to find the solution and the commitment and consistency to continue inspite of all odds has made today a possibility,” he said.

“I also thank your association, your presidents, your secretaries, the members what they have been able to achieve requires alot of patience,” he added.

“I thank the authors of our education policy. Way back in 2019 those who had created the actual vision and road map of how education should move forward. I thank the members of the education commission,” he said.

Closing his address, the Chief Minister urged a student-centric approach.

“I would like to urge our teachers that at the end of the day, education is a very complex sector… I believe that the only time when education can actualy start changing is when we put the child infront of us and ask ourselves the question what is good for this child,” he said.

“I believe that if all the teachers and the parents, the officials and the politicians if we were to start putting the child first in all the decisions we make only then will education start transforming,” he said.

He reiterated education as the government’s priority.

“We aspire to see Meghalaya as one of the top ten states in the country. That dream cannot be fulfilled if education is not kept as our priority,” Sangma said.

“If education does not move forward that dream of ours, we may reach it but it will be a very short-lived dream, we will not be able to sustain it… Hence, education is and will always be the top priority of our government,” he said.

Also present at the function were deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, education minister Lahkmen Rymbui, Commissioner & Secretary in-charge education Vijay Mantri among other dignataries.

Also Read: Meghalaya woman found dead in Bengaluru flat; KSU demands fair inquiry

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