SHILLONG, July 18: The Meghalaya Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan School Association (MSSASA) on Monday decided to continue with their indefinite sit-in until the state government release their pending salary of five months besides enhancing the salaries of the SSA teachers.
The MSSASA’s decision came after their meeting with Additional Chief Secretary of Education DP Wahlang and Secretary of Education Ambrose R Marak.
Talking to reporters, MSSASA president Aristotle Rymbai said their decision to continue with the sit-in was unanimous.
He said that the additional chief secretary had told them that the delay was because none of the state governments had received funds from the Ministry of Finance for April, May and June.
The officials assured that the state government will release the pending salary of three months of this fiscal as soon as the funds are released by the Centre, Rymbai said, adding that the balance amount of Rs 44 crore meant for clearing the pending salaries of February and March 2021 was lying with the state’s Finance department.
Rymbai also informed that they have decided to allow the state government to examine their remaining demands – increasing the allocation for SSA and regularisation of their services.
Now, contractual teachers to launch stir
Following on the heels of the ad hoc and SSA teachers, the Meghalaya Lower Primary School Contractual Association (MLPSCA) has decided to launch an indefinite sit-in near the CM’s residence at Oakland from August 1 but not before giving a deadline of two weeks to the state government to reinstate them.
MLPSCA president Birbor Riangtem told reporters on Monday that the teachers along with their spouse and children will agitate from August 1 if the government fails to comply with their demands.
“So far the government has not taken any decision with regard to our demand. We had even met Additional Chief Secretary DP Wahlang to air our grievances but to no avail,” he said.
He that there are around 1,000 contractual teachers whose services were terminated in January 2020 after serving for over 10 ten years following the implementation of the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test or MTET.
