SHILLONG, May 12: The Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) on Thursday called off its indefinite agitation after Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma assured it that a proposal for enhancement of the salaries of ad hoc teachers will be cleared within three Cabinet meetings.
He said the proposal will be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting. The assurance was made at a meeting with the leaders of FASTOM which held a protest outside the Main Secretariat on Thursday morning.
The federation is demanding a hike in salaries of the ad hoc teachers by Rs 18,000 besides a 5% increment every year.
The FASTOM leaders on Thursday afternoon held two rounds of meetings with the Education department, followed by another with the CM after which the agitating teachers dispersed peacefully from the venue and the FASTOM called off its agitation.
FASTOM spokesperson, Mayborn Lyngdoh told reporters Sangma has given a commitment to fulfilling the demands. He said the Education department has sent a new, better and upgraded proposal to the CM.
“The CM told us that he will need three sittings of the Cabinet and it can be done in the first or even in the second Cabinet meeting,” Lyngdoh said, making it clear that the FASTOM’s demands still stand.
“We are quite happy with the outcome of the meeting,” Lyngdoh said. He agreed enhancing salaries may have financial implications but said the same has not been hiked since 2016.
According to Lyngdoh, the state’s overall budget has increased from Rs 13,000 crore to Rs 17,000 crore in the last six years and this shows the government does have funds. “We cannot force but only propose and the proposal is in the final stages. We are going to wait and will ask the teachers what we should do,” he added.
Sangma said the file pertaining to the proposal is being processed and once it reaches his table, it will be put up in the Cabinet.
Reiterating that the matter entails hundreds of crores of rupees annually, he said if the government goes ahead with the decision, it will have two options – cut the budget of other departments or generate more revenue.
GSU lends support to teachers
The Garo Students’ Union (GSU) on Thursday asked the chief minister to accede to the demands of the ad hoc school teachers and enhance their salaries.
In their appeal to the CM, submitted through the West Garo Hills deputy commissioner, the union said that the teachers have been facing hardships in their day-to-day lives.
“We request you to enhance their salaries and implement the new salary structure meant for ad hoc teachers. Their services are important for our children as well as for the general welfare of students. They deserve to be paid at par with government teachers,” the GSU appealed.