SHILLONG, March 27: The Meghalaya Upper Primary School Teachers Association (MUPSTA) and Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) have given the state government a deadline till May to enhance the salaries of ad hoc school teachers in the state.
President of MUPSTA and FASTOM, Kenneth Shadap on Sunday said they have decided to extend the deadline till May since the government has assured them, vide a letter, that it was actively examining their demand.
“We will decide our next course of action in the first week of June if the government fails to enhance the salaries by the end of May. This is the last opportunity for the government. We are not going to call off our agitation once we begin it,” Shadap said.
It may be mentioned that the ad hoc teachers had launched a sit-in agitation demanding fair wages and threatening a statewide agitation in April if their demands were not met.
According to him, the state government is still examining the demand for hiking the salaries of the ad hoc teachers to Rs 18,000 per month besides an annual increment of 5%.
“The Education department will require an additional amount of around Rs 13 crore monthly and Rs 156 crore annually for enhancing the salaries of the ad hoc teachers right from the lower upper primary up to the higher secondary level,” he said.
The teachers have also demanded that the headmaster/ headmistress and principal should draw higher salaries since they have greater responsibilities.
Earlier, Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma had said that the state government was examining the proposal to enhance the salaries of ad hoc teachers.
“This aspect is still being examined and we have not taken any decision yet,” the CM had stated.