SHILLONG, July 13: The All Meghalaya SSA Teachers Association (AMSSATA) will hold an indefinite sit-in at the parking lot near the Additional Secretariat from July 15.
It will be held from 10am to 4pm every day.
The AMSSATA took the decision in protest against the state government’s failure to comply with its demands on the release of their pending salaries for five months and arrears for eight months of the 2016-2017 fiscal.
Earlier, the teachers’ body had announced that it will hold an indefinite agitation if the state government fails to comply with the demands within July 12.
AMSSATA general secretary Defender S Lamare told reporters they had planned to meet Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma but could not do so as the CM was preoccupied. They wanted to meet the CM to remind him of the memorandum they had submitted on July 5.
A meeting with Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui was not possible as he was away in Delhi. Lamare lamented that the state government failed to address the grievances of the teachers.
He disclosed that after the association had submitted the memorandum to Governor Satya Pal Malik, the latter assured to talk to the CM.
Lamare said they had also apprised BJP MLA and chairman of the Central Scheme Monitoring Cell AL Hek of their grievances.
According to him, Hek assured that he would take up the matter with the Centre and ask as to why the SSA teachers have to face the problem of delay in the release of their salaries often.
Lamare urged the All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers Association and the Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA) to take part in the sit-in-demonstration.
Asked about the various associations of SSA teachers, he said they have separate goals and objectives “but we are on the same board on the issue of pending salaries and arrears.”
He said the AMSSATA will decide on July 15 on its next course of action to pressure the government for the enhancement of their salaries and regularisation of services.
Earlier, the MSSASA had decided to go ahead with the indefinite agitation from July 18 if the government failed to release their salaries within July 15.
