SHILLONG, Dec 2: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Thursday said that money meant to clear the salaries of the agitating Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers has been 
sent to the treasury and disbursement would happen soon.
This development has evoked response from the president of the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association, Aristotle C Rymbai, who took to social media to emphasize that their fight will continue.
“Now our next move with regards to salary matter is concerned is we will put every efforts to pressure and persuade state government to release the funds amounting Rs 104 crore, which is still lying with state government so that the remaining three months’ salary could be released. Will be meeting the Authority concerned in few days to pursue the matter,” Rymbai said.
Earlier, Rymbui said, “Ten days back, we got Rs 59 crore from Centre and the Finance department has been informed. But in the last three-four days, because of the new development wherein payment is processed through BEAMS, it (amount) could not go. But now…the bills have been sent to treasury and maybe now it could be sent to respective District Mission Coordinators for necessary disbursement of salary for two months”.
The Centre had recently released Rs 59 crore to the state government for disbursing salary to the SSA teachers. Meghalaya had sought Rs 140 crore to pay the salaries of the SSA teachers but the Centre released less than half of that amount.
It may be recalled that the SSA teachers in the state have been demanding the release of their five months’ pending salary. The state government had, however, assured that two months’ salary will be doled out to them after receiving funds from the central government.
In Garo Hills, the SSA teachers of the region under the banner of the All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers’ Association began their indefinite hunger strike in front of the Chief Minister’s Office in Tura on Wednesday.