SSA teachers threaten indefinite stir from July 18

SHILLONG, July 10: The Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) has threatened to go ahead with its indefinite agitation from July 18 if the state government fails to comply with its demands by July 15.
The association is demanding a hike in the salaries of the 12,451 SSA teachers serving in Lower Primary and Upper Primary schools under the centrally-sponsored SSA scheme and the release of their pending salaries.
Recently, members of the association met Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and apprised him of the difficulties being faced by the teachers after not receiving their salaries for five months.
The salaries pending are for the months of February and March of 2021-2022 fiscal and April, May and June of 2022-2023 fiscal.
In a statement on Sunday, MSSASA president Aristotle Rymbai said during a meeting on June 25, the association decided that it will go ahead with its agitation if the government fails to comply with the demands within July 15.
Rymbai said the MSSASA is planning to organise an indefinite hunger strike at the parking lot near the Additional Secretary from July 18.
Meanwhile, the Federation of All Meghalaya Adhoc Secondary Teachers Association (FAMASTA) said it is not satisfied with the enhancement of the grant-in-aid to the ad hoc secondary teachers.
It held its executive body meeting on July 7 where the issue was discussed.
“We are not satisfied since we had demanded enhancement of their salaries by 50% according to the proposal submitted to the Education department. But we have decided to accept the decision of the Cabinet,” FAMASTA president B Kharumnuid said.
He said the association will continue to demand the upgradation of the ad hoc schools to deficit pattern. The demand was first raised in 2006.