By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: After the adhoc school teachers, now the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers has come forward to demand the immediate release of their five-month pending salaries and enhancement of the same within March 30 failing of which, they have threatened to close-down all the schools.

The demand was made on Thursday after thousands of SSA teachers took out a silent protest march from Dhankheti to Malki demanding the State Government to pay heed to their grievances and release their salary.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA) president, HM Marbaniang asked the State Government to pay their pending salary within March 30 while threatening to close-down all the SSA schools set up in the entire State if their dues are not cleared within the stipulated time frame.

“We strongly demand the government to release the pending salaries of the teachers within this coming Saturday (March 30),” Marbaniang said while expressing the plight of the teachers stating that the delay in the release of salary for the last five months has affected teachers and their day-to-day lives of running family has become a difficult task.

In addition to this, the SSA teachers have also demanded a hike in their salary from Rs 6000 to 12, 000 besides asking the government to regularize their posts.

There are over 4000 teachers teaching in more than 1000 SSA schools established in the 11 districts of Meghalaya.

“We are demanding enhancement of our pay as the present monthly income of Rs 6000 is below the maximum salary of a Grade-IV employee taking into account the workload and responsibility which creates an output for the future generation of the State,” Marbaniang asserted.

Meanwhile, in view of the reports of discontinuation of SSA schools in the year to come, MSSASA president has also asked the State government to regularize the services of all the SSA teachers as done in other parts of the country and neighbouring states like Arunachal Pradesh.

Last year, the MSSASA had submitted similar proposal to the Chief Minister, Education Minister and the SSA School Project Director while expecting the government to take up the matter at the Project Approval Board (PAB) to be held on April this year.