SHILLONG: Ambrose Ch Marak, the director of school education and literacy (DSEL), assured help to deficit teachers who met him on Wednesday.
The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association (KJDSTA) along with Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) had a meeting with DSEL to apprise him of the issues faced by them.
KJDSTA president Babu Kular Khongjirem urged the director to release the first arrears of the revised pay before Christmas. To which the director guaranteed that he would try his best.
Marak told them that he would instruct all district school education officers who have not submitted the proposals for arrears to submit on or before December 15 so that arrears can be disbursed before Christmas.
Among other demands were benefits as per the Fifth Pay Commission report, increase in death cum retirement gratuity from the existing Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, modified Assured Carrier Progressive scheme, maternity and paternity leaves and high pay scale for deficit teachers with higher qualifications. The delegation also asked the director to release the salary of deficit school teachers regularly as the old system of releasing salary once in three months “is not relevant to the teachers”.
The delegation also raised the non-release of the old pending arrears that is Dearness Allowances (DA) for deficit teachers at the upper and lower primary levels. While these teachers enjoyed the revised pay scale at present but the old pending DA is yet to be released by the directorate. The director assured the delegation that he would take up this matter as early as possible.
The other point discussed in the meeting was the delay in sanctioning financial aid to teachers who are on medical treatments as announced by the state government on Teachers’ Day this year. This fund is collected from each and every student from schools as a children’s fund for the welfare of teachers and the amount collected is handed over to respective DSEO offices ahead of Teachers’ day every year.
Khongjirem said Marak gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured the teachers that he would sanction arrears immediately, “and in future within one month’s time the sanctioned amount will be released”.
