SHILLONG: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has firmly rejected the Voice of the People Party’s (VPP) demand to remove Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri, challenging critics to name a more efficient officer.
Rymbui described Mantri as a dedicated and accessible leader, highlighting his personal engagement with protesting teachers and his role in resolving pay anomalies through a new, fair pay structure.
Rymbui emphasized that structural reforms—including school rationalization—are essential for the health of Meghalaya’s education system, citing the need to address disparities in teacher deployment and school enrollment.
He reassured that ongoing reforms will not compromise existing teachers’ positions.
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The Minister listed key achievements under “Mission Education,” including new teacher training facilities, upgraded secondary schools, new colleges, and initiatives to support local languages and skill development.
He acknowledged operational challenges but insisted that the government is actively addressing them and urged critics to assess the department’s overall performance.
VPP President Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, meanwhile, accused the current educational leadership of prioritizing administrative convenience over local realities and teacher welfare, reiterating the call for Mantri’s replacement with leadership more attuned to public needs.
(4FrontMedia news)
