By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Contradictory statement by Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma and Education Minister, RC Laloo on the release of the remaining arrears for the college non-teaching staff reveals lack of co-ordination and a constant change in decision-making in the MUA government.
It may be reminded that on August 24, while speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the government has decided to release the arrear of the college non-teaching staff before or on Teacher’s Day.
However, Education Minister, RC Laloo told The Shillong Times on Sunday that he needed the approval of the Assembly for payment of the arrears. “Only after the Assembly session, I would be in a position to initiate the process for payment of the arrears,” the Education Minister stated.
The contradictory statement made by the two ministers has provoked the college non-teaching staff under the banner Meghalaya College Non-Teaching Employees Association (MCNTEA) to go for protest. The association gathered at PGT College on Monday agreeing to cease work for the whole week starting from Monday.
Speaking to media at the gathering of the ceased work employees held at PGT College here on Monday, the General Secretary MCNTEA G Wahlang said representations and memoranda demanding the payment of arrear of the non-teaching employees have piled up in the office of the Education Minister and the office of the Director of Higher and Technical Education Department with no response from the State Government to pay 70 per cent of the pending arrear due to the implementation of the Fourth Pay Commission.MCNTEA Assistant General Secretary, P Majaw informed that the association will go ahead wih its decision to gather at St Anthony’s College on Tuesday.
If the government refused to listen to their demand, this protest will continue till September 3 and if still doesn’t ring a bell in the government’s ear, “Then we will be forced to hold a rally from Madan Ïewrynghep-Fire Brigade till Secretariat on September 5 which is also a Teacher’s Day Celebration.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) president, Dr Ruben Lyngdoh expressed surprise over the adamant attitude of the government in relation to their demand even after a cease work and a two-day Black flag day observed by them.
“The statement of Dr Mukul recently is unclear as the cabinet tends to focus only at the arrear for those teachers who get their salary as per the ‘UGC Pay Scale’ whereas it didn’t speak anything on the demands for revised pay and the arrear of the teachers of the Ad-hoc Grants-in-Aid College as per the ‘Meghalaya 4th Pay Commission’”, said Dr Lyngdoh.
It is very surprising to note that the Education Minister requires the approval of the Assembly to release the arrear, added Lyngdoh while adding that they can’t really figure it out the decision of the government. “The whole matter will only be clear if the government have a round table discussion with the leaders of the association”, added Lyngdoh.
It may be mentioned that the MCTA recently decided to hold a public gathering at St Anthony’s Ground as a mark of protest against the government for its delay to release the revised pay release and the remaining arrear of the teachers receiving their payment according to the ‘UGC Pay Scale’.