By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 16: After a prolonged and persistent persuasion, the Meghalaya government has finally considered the appeal for implementation of the fresh salary structure as well as enhancement of the salaries of more than 12,000 lower and upper primary SSA teachers in the state.
Informing this, president of the Meghalaya Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan School Association, Aristotle Rymbai, said that the development was revealed to them by Director of Schools Education & Literacy, Ambrose Ch Marak, on Tuesday.
“In a meeting, the director told us that the demand has been accepted and that he has been instructed to prepare a proposal on this,” said Rymbai.
He said that the proposal must be taken up with the executive committee of State Education Mission Authority Meghalaya (SEMAM), which will happen in March, and once the Committee gives the nod, it will be sent to the Ministry of Education for further approval.
It may be mentioned that SEMAM is a committee which was chaired by state Chief Secretary, whereas the Vice Chairman is the Principal Secretary of Education and members of the executive committee are Principal Secretary of Planning department and Principal Secretary of Finance department.
On February 9, a memorandum was submitted to Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui for implementation of salary structure and enhancement of their salaries at par to that of regular teachers in accordance with revised pay structure under Meghalaya Service Revision of Pay Rules 2018.
The Association had provided the government a deadline of February 18 to fulfil their demands.
The SSA teachers have knocked on doors of several authorities seeking redressal to their problems in the past.
Only last year, SSA school teachers from Garo Hills under the banner of the All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers Association had threatened to stage a hunger strike on December 24 and 25 in front of Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma’s residence if their five months’ pending salaries were not released before Christmas.
The association had also out-rightly rejected the then claim made by the Education Minister that the pending salaries were due to the non-release of funds from the Centre. The teachers have time and again cried foul over government’s purported focus to be on quality education when the teaching fraternity is not paid their salaries on time.
