Pay my salary after cooks, ayahs are paid: Praveen Prakash

Vijayawada: Principal secretary, department of school education, Praveen Prakash on Friday wrote a letter to assistant secretary to government, drawing and disbursing officer (DDO) not to process his salary bill until the salaries of 88,296 cooks and 46,661 ayahs who are playing key role in serving nutritious food to students are credited into their accounts.

The principal secretary said the state government has taken initiative to improve infrastructure in schools and under Nadu-Nedu Phase I, completed developmental works in 15,715 schools at a cost of Rs 3,669 crore. In Phase II, works were under progress in 22,344 schools. He said Gorumudda programme was launched to provide quality, nutritious food for the students. The government appointed 88,296 cooks in 44,392 schools to serve nutritious food to students.

Stating that as the ayahs and cooks are the backbone of school education, including serving nutritious food to students, the preparation of their monthly salary bill was automated. As part of it, teacher concerned should report to headmaster and headmaster to mandal education officer on the attendance of ayahs and cooks.

The MEO should submit the report to DEO, who will pass on the report to directorate.  Prakash said that every month he will forward the compliance report on payment of salaries to ayahs and cooks and after receiving the necessary report only, clear his salary bill from the month of March, which is payable in April.

It may be recalled that Praveen Prakash, then Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's principal secretary stated in November 2019 that he would not take his salary on the first of every month and asked the official concerned to release it only after all contract and outsourced Class 3 and 4 employees are fully paid their salaries.