Over 1,000 instts to be on MPO list
At least 1,000 non-government educational institutions will get monthly pay order (MPO) facilities as the government will publish a list of the institutions within a week giving the lower secondary and secondary schools priority over colleges.
The ministry will publish the list within a week from over 7,500 applications submitted for MPO, said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday.
A high-level committee is making a final scrutiny for giving the institutions monthly pay order facilities, he told reporters at his secretariat in the city.
"We will put the list on the website as well," the minister added.
He, however, did not mention the possible numbers of schools, madrasas, colleges and technical institutions to be entitled to MPO. But the highly placed sources at the ministry hinted that the number of institutions could be between 1,000 and 1,100.
The government has allocated Tk 112 crore for the MPO.
Under the MPO, teachers and employees will get cent percent basic salaries and other benefits from the government.
The MPO has been withheld since 2004 following allegations of corruption and nepotism in the process. After assuming office, the government formed a committee to devise a policy for the MPO.
The ministry sources said the institutions from Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet will be enrolled mostly this time as fewer institutions in these areas were included in MPO system last time.
The institutions having government's approval after January 2008 will not be included in the list this time, they added.
The finance ministry had recommended listing 1,000 institutions last year when it gave the allocation for MPO.
The number of institutions recommended by the finance ministry may change, Nahid said adding many institutions may not fulfil the criteria for MPO inclusion.
He also said they had prepared MPO guidelines after reviewing proposals of different ministries and the prime minister's office.
The list will be made based on the guidelines, he said.
Asked about pressure from the lawmakers, he said they will not recommend any institution going beyond the guidelines.
The ministry sources said lower secondary and secondary schools will get priority as their staff number is small.
The ministry will send a proposal to the finance ministry requesting them to allocate more money in the coming budget for MPO inclusion, they added.
Sources said a huge number of teachers are lobbying for enrolment under the MPO for the last few days that prompted the MPO listing committee to work in a secret place.
Nahid urged all not to give money to anyone for MPO.
Around 26,340 educational institutions including 2,386 colleges, 15,515 secondary schools, 7,344 madrasas and 1,095 technical institutes are getting MPO facilities in Bangladesh.
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