TURA: SSA school teachers from Garo Hills have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma urging him to look into the various grievances being faced by them in the region.
The memorandum was handed over to Kharkutta MLA, Rupert Momin to be forwarded to the CM during the 7th Annual General Conference of the All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers’ Association (AGHSSASTA) held at Dalu on October 26 and 27. The MLA is said to have assured at the time to take up the matter with the Chief Minister.
Among other demands made in the memorandum, the teachers sought the enhancement of their salaries to Rs 45,000/- per month at par with other school teachers as well as its disbursement each month and not once every 5 or 6 months as is presently being done. Informing that they were yet to receive some of their pending arrears till date, they urged that the same is release with immediate effect.
Besides, the teachers also sought the provincialization of services of all SSA school teachers given that their counterparts from other parts of the state enjoy the status. With regard to 4th Teachers, the AGHSSASTA while pointing out that the amount of work and hardships endured by them are the same with other SSA teachers demanded that they too are given equal pay at par with the others.
Another demand of the teachers is for their salaries to be released in their individual bank accounts. At present, the teachers receive their salaries through the school’s joint account which they said is posing many problems.
“Through the current system, the release of our salary is not uniformed and sometimes delayed. There are also many deductions in the name of transportation fees, school funds, MDM funds, maintenance grants and bank keeping charges. But non-teaching staff under the same SSA department like BRP, CRP and Cook receive their salaries through their individual accounts,” the teachers pointed out and urged that the same facility is made available to them.