SHILLONG, Oct 7: The Meghalaya Government Lower Primary School Contractual Teachers’ Association (MGLPSCTA) on Friday called off its stir following a Supreme Court order to the state government to allow them to reappear for the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Tests (MTET).
“We have been protesting for a long time but the state government is adamant. We have no other option but to call it off,” MGLPSCTA president Birbor Riangtem said.
Until a few hours before dusk, the teacher’s association was determined to carry on the agitation till death. But things changed quickly.
The MGLPCTA, which is spearheading the agitation by hundreds of contractual teachers, had earlier moved the Supreme Court. Riangtem said the teachers were happy with the order of the Apex Court.
Earlier in the day, the leaders of the association held a meeting with Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, who said the reinstatement of the teachers is out of the question but assured to relax the age limit for the teachers to reappear for the MTET.
Many overaged teachers were not eligible for the MTET conducted a few months ago.
Riangtem, conveying exhaustion, said the association is dissatisfied with the state government’s offer but he declined to specify the reason for withdrawing the agitation.
After meeting the teachers’ delegation, Rymbui said he explained the constraints and the government’s position to the MGLPSCTA vis-à-vis the legal provisions. “Regularisation is out of the question,” he said.
He said the government can at most give one-time age relaxation to the overaged contractual teachers so that they can appear for the recruitment process through the MTET.
Informing reporters that the teachers’ representatives requested him to find ways and means to regularise them, he said, “Anything beyond age relaxation will be contempt of court.”
Hearing writ petition (civil) number 193 of 2020, the High Court of Meghalaya had in its order of October 5, 2020, said none of the petitioners is entitled to regularisation.
Asked when the MTET exams would be conducted, he said the government would first complete the roster system to facilitate the entry of 2,000-plus eligible youths.
“Let’s hope we are able to complete the roster system in the next few weeks and advertise for the post and complete the recruitment process,” he added.
On Thursday, police had fired tear gas canisters and used force to disperse contractual teachers who were protesting along with members of their families in front of the Main Secretariat.
Police said they fired a few rounds of tear gas as the teachers had turned violent. But the teachers claimed the police action was unprovoked as they were protesting peacefully.
The teachers also said only male police personnel were deployed although there were children and women among the protestors.
As many as 800 contractual teachers were sacked from government lower primary schools in 2021 after they failed to clear the mandatory MTET.
The teachers have been claiming that they had been appointed in 2010 and 2012 but their services were terminated last year following the introduction of the MTET in 2018-19.
