Laid-off RSTC staff appeal for PM Narendra Modi's help

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Residential Special Training Center Workers' Association has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a personal initiative to ensure re-opening of six Residential Special Training Centres (RSTCs) in four districts of the State, which were closed down with effect from April 1 last.

In a recent letter to the Prime Minister, the association stated that its members have been working in the RSTCs under the auspices of Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Mission (SSA). "We have been employed on a modest basis since 2003, although we had hoped that the Government of Assam would provide us with permanent employment but, on the contrary, we have had to close all our centres with effect from April 1, 2022," the letter stated.

The association further informed the Prime Minister that the RSTCs have been closed down on the ground of non-release of funds by the Central Government.

Asserting that many of the 600 laid-off workers "will die due to starvation", the association requested the Prime Minister to take necessary steps for re-opening the six RSTCs of the State.

It may be mentioned that the RSTCs closed by the SSA include two RSTCs in the Biswanath district, two in the Dhemaji district and one each in the Kamrup (Metro) and Sonitpur districts.

The RSTC intervention is for 'out-of-school' children in the 11-14 years age group. The RSTC is run in a residential mode. The prime objective of this intervention is to bring the 'out-of-school' children, including the child labourers, and get them enrolled in his/her age-appropriate class in a formal school. After that, they are provided special training support so that they can be mainstreamed in due course. The special training is provided for a maximum of two years.

Prior to the closure of these six units, there were 92 RSTCs in the State. The Mission Director of Samagra Shiksha, Assam had stated that all learners of RSTCs enrolled in the year 2019-20 were to be mainstreamed by March, 2022. In the six RSTCs, 100 per cent learners were mainstreamed. Hence, they were closed down from April 1, 2022. The remaining 86 RSTCs have been directed to mainstream their learners soon and then all the RSTCs will be closed down from June 30, 2022.

Till March 23, 2022, the total enrolment in RSTCs in the State was 5,749. Out of these, within March, 2,993 learners were mainstreamed. There are now 2,756 learners in the 86 RSTCs who will be mainstreamed soon before all the RSTCs are closed down.

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