By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: College and school teachers of the state under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee of All Teachers’ Associations of Meghalaya (JACATAM) on Tuesday kick started their first phase of agitation by wearing black badges.
Miffed over the alleged ‘insensitivity’ of Deputy Chief Minister Prof RC Laloo, who also holds the Education portfolio, towards their cause, the teachers’ body had announced a series of agitation a week ago.
The members of the association were irked by state government’s silence even after the announcement of the agitation.
“The agitation will continue if Prof Laloo chooses to remain insensitive and silent towards our demands,” JACATAM publicity secretary, B Kular Khongjirem said here on Tuesday.
The agitation was called following the failure of the government to meet their demands which include regular disbursement of salary, medical reimbursement and maternity leave besides others.
Some of the issues that the teachers want to discuss with Prof Laloo relate to education policy, reformation of the Meghalaya Board of School Education, regular payment of salaries to teachers and provincialization of teachers’ service.
Referring to a letter written by the Director of School Education & Literacy (DSEL), JD Sangma in 2011, in which the government agreed to pay the salary of all the teachers of the non-government (LP/UP) and deficit schools regularly, Khongjirem said, “The same is yet to see the light of the day and the promises were made in paper”.
Their agitation will continue till September 5.
The association will observe a pen down strike on August 29 followed by a mass casual leave (CL) on September 3, dharna in various districts and zones on September 4 and a mass rally to be held in Shillong on September 5.