THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite requests from the authorities of the Sainik School, Kazhakoottam, Old Boys’ Association, staff and students against the threat of insolvency, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac has returned unfavourably the proposal to take over the burden of pensions and retirement benefits of employees there.Now, the only hope left before the Sainik School, Kazhakootam, (SSK) authorities is for the chief minister to come to their aid on compassionate grounds. Else, the lone Sainik School in the state would have to be closed down.
TNIE, on October 12, had brought to the attention of the authorities how SSK was facing insolvency. The central government had put forward a proposal before the LDF Government on behalf of SSK suggesting the state government take over the burden of pensions and retirement benefits of the employees. The proposal, which came before the department of general education, was returned by the finance minister without positive action, much to the disappointment of the school authorities.
The school currently supports 85 serving employees and 108 pensioners and their families, for whom the pension is their sole earning. The proposal demands an additional yearly liability of `6 crore which is expected to increase in the coming years due to the imminent retirement of the school staff. “The situation is expected to stabilise by 2035 at not more than `12 crore when the last pensioner retires and the National Pension System takes over. We are sincerely hoping that the honourable chief minister will consider our proposal sympathetically and extend magnanimity for the future of the less fortunate children of our state who have benefited by studying at the Sainik School Kazhakootam,” said a senior SSK official.
Lieutenant General Cherish Mathson -- the 9th General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Jaipur-based Sapta Shakti Command who had retired last September, and a former student of SSK -- said, if the state government is really impoverished and cannot spare `6 crore for SSK, then it will have to borrow from the Centre so that the school continues to function.
“`6 crore is not an impossible sum for the state government if it really wants to do it. I would never have become a General of the Indian Army if not for the Sainik School,” said Lt. Gen. Mathson, who is currently an advisor to RAW.The development comes when several states have signed MoA with their Sainik Schools to ensure funding. Rajasthan, which has two Sainik Schools, is currently planning a third one.