Govt examining demand to enhance 4th teacher’s salary

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 11, 2022

The state government is examining the demand for enhancing the salary of the 4^th teachers in SSA schools across the state.

“The enhancement proposal has not fallen in deaf ears, however, considering the complexities of different categories of school management, recruitment procedures and appointment policy of the school managing committee, the education department had intricately examined, and the matter of enhancement is taken into consideration,” Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said while replying to a zero hour notice brought by AITC MLA from Mawsynram Himalaya Shangpliang in the Assembly on Thursday.

He informed that at present the total expenditure on salary for 4^th teachers alone stands at Rs 21.90 crore per annum.

The 4^th teachers were appointed in the year 2005 and their salary was at par with SSA at the rate of Rs 6,000 per month.

However, through the years, SSA teachers received the benefit of salary enhancement from Rs 6000 – Rs 990 from 2007-08 and to Rs 20,493 pm from 2016-17 and also the 4^th teacher’s salary was enhanced from Rs 6000 to Rs 12000 from January 2017, for which expenditure is borne by the state government.

Apart from 4^th teachers, Rymbui said that the state government continues to support and aid altogether 2190 deficit and deficit pattern schools and 7093 teachers and non-teaching staff which amount to an annual expenditure of Rs 418 crore for salary only.

He added there are also 9068 adhoc schools and grant-in aid schools with 24,448 teachers, whose salary component is borne by the state government amounting to approximately Rs 525.40 crore.

“It is therefore apparent that the state government has made an immense contribution to the different categories of education institutions and will continue to support in every which way possible, however, the financial constraint is a challenge for the state,” he said while assuring that in understanding the grievances, the government will take adequate steps to examine the enhancement of salary.