SHILLONG, April 6: The agitating deficit school teachers, exasperated by the state government’s continued indifference to their demands, have decided to move the Prime Minister for a possible redressal.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Khasi-Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) and the Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers’ and Employees’ Association (GHDSTEA) on Tuesday announced this decision over the “adamant attitude” of the state government in cold shouldering the teachers by withholding 25% of revised pay pending for three years and denying retirement benefits.
“We will be writing to the Prime Minister and NHRC to apprise them of the situation by the end of this week. It will be good if the Prime Minister comes to our rescue,” KJDSTA vice president and JAC chairperson, Susan Syiem told reporters.
It may be mentioned that the JAC wants the state government to implement the recommendation of the Fifth Pay Commission with regard to the deficit school teachers like pension and retirement benefits and Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity.
The associations mentioned that to date, the government had notified the release of the second installment of 25% that was due in 2019.
Meanwhile, the JAC chairperson informed that they have also decided to temporarily keep their agitation in abeyance in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases in the state and also in other parts of the country.
“We will be meeting to discuss on the agitations which we can launch which will not affect the student community. We would want to show to the government that silence is not our weakness,” she stated.
