SHILLONG: As the countdown for Teachers’ Day starts, the Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA) central body has reiterated that SSA teachers should refrain from agitation saying the issue of pending salary is already taken up by the state government.
The Ministry of Human Resources Development had directed all state governments to start funding salary for teachers under the new Integrated Scheme Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. However, the state has failed to provide the salary of SSA teachers for five months.
MSSASA general secretary HM Marbaniang said the association has been in touch with the Education Department since March. “After much deliberation, the state accepted the charter of demand made by MSSASA to propose the existing salary of Rs 19,044 for 5,814 lower primary teachers and Rs 20,493 for 6,727 upper primary teachers in the Annual Work Plan and Budget 2018-19 for the State held on May 25 this year in New Delhi,” he added.
The Ministry has also mentioned that financial assistance by the Centre for Meghalaya will be based on norms of new Integrated Scheme (Rs 15,000 for lower primary teachers and Rs 20,000 for upper primary teachers). The PAB also stated in regard to hiking the salary of teachers, the state government has to bear it from its own resources.
In this regards, MSSASA have also submitted a memorandum to the state on four occasions seeking immediate attention and action on matters of service conditions, pay structure, merging of all SSA teachers from State Implementation Society to Education department, streamlining and others issues of elementary teachers recruited and working under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan now known as Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and education minister Lahkmen Rymbui had called the association for discussion on separate occasions, the union president said.
On the same agenda, Lambor Malngiang, chairman of the State Planning Board, also called the association for discussion, Rymbai said.
Rymbai also informed that the Board held a meeting with the Education Department on August to come up with a clear picture on the status proposal to clear pending salary and other issues for the welfare of teachers.
If the state fails to pay the salary as per their demand, appropriate action will be taken, the association said.
