SHILLONG: Members of the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association has slammed the District School Education Officer (DSEO) of East Khasi Hills for not preparing the proposal for implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission.
“The process of implementing the 5th Pay Commission for deficit school teachers is going on because the (Education) Department has asked the Directorate to prepare the proposal for implementation of revised pay for teaching and non-teaching staff of deficit schools in the state,” president of the association ED Nongsiang told reporters here on Monday.
He expressed surprise that the DSEOs of other districts have complied with the order whereas the DSEO of East Khasi Hills, RM Pariat, refuses to do so. The association stated that the blame will be on her for the delay.
The Education Department, in a letter on December 14, 2017, had requested the DSEL to examine the matter of implementing the revised pay structure and also to prepare a Cabinet memorandum.
The DSEL have instructed the DSEOs of all districts in the state, in a letter dated December 29, 2017, to send proposals to schools to prepare the fixation of pay and financial implication for extension of the revised pay structure and submit the same to the Directorate immediately.
“The DSEOs sent proposals to the schools to get the actual financial implication, to get the clear picture on how much it is needed to pay new salaries to teachers,” Nongsiang said.
A delegation of the teachers’ body went to meet Pariat to seek clarification on why she did not send the proposals to the school.
She reportedly told them that it was not clear and wanted to find out more before sending the instructions. “We told her that the order from the Director is very clear and that she has to prepare the fixation of pay and financial implication,” Nongsiang said.
“She argued that she wants to be on the safe side. We don’t understand what she meant by “safe side” when the orders are already there. She has to comply with the orders of the higher authorities,” he added.
Terming Pariat as incompetent, antagonistic, arrogant, lacking in public relation skills, he went on to criticise the officer by saying that it is the presence of such officers that cause failure in the education system.
“If she is not fit to hold the post she should have enquired from her officers or she should not hold the responsibility at all. She was paid to do her job but she refused to do so,” he added.
He stated that the teachers are aware of procedures, like approval from the Cabinet, “but the process will be delayed due to the inaction of Pariat”.
Nongsiang said that the association will take up different measures to see that the teachers get their dues.
