Protesting teachers pitch tent outside Secretariat

SHILLONG, June 28: Accusing the state government of betraying the teachers of the state, the Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya launched an indefinite protest on Tuesday outside the secretariat in the city and the mini secretariat in Tura.
Ready for a long haul, the teachers pitched camp by the roadside and were still there at the time of filing of this report late Tuesday evening.
FASTOM spokesperson Mayborn Lyngdoh said they were aggrieved over the betrayal by the state government despite an assurance from none other than Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma that the demands of the ad hoc teachers would be fulfilled within three Cabinet meetings.
“The three cabinet meetings are over and we have realised that the government lied to us and betrayed us,” Lyngdoh said.
He made it crystal clear that the teachers would not engage in any further dialogue with the state government.
“We will call off our agitation only when the government issues an order fulfilling our long-pending demands to enhance our salaries. We are going to sleep on the streets to ensure that the government fulfils its promises,” Lyngdoh said.
Besides launching an indefinite protest, FASTOM has also decided to go for a complete boycott of all school duties at all levels (including Hindi teachers and fourth teachers) from Wednesday.
A meeting held in this regard on Tuesday resolved that all teachers in Shillong will assemble outside the main secretariat on Wednesday while teachers from Garo Hills will gather outside the mini secretariat at Tura.
The federation is demanding a hike in salaries of the ad hoc teachers by Rs 18,000 besides a 5% increment every year.