HYC slams Meghalaya govt over non-release of SSA teachers’ salary

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 6, 2021

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Saturday condemned the state government’s indifferent attitude towards the demand of the SSA teachers for releasing their pending salaries and regularizing their services.

“The non-release of the SSA teachers’ salaries for five months, the irresponsible statement made by the education minister that the government is not in a position to regularize their services and unwillingness to enhance their salaries – are matters of grave concern for the education sector in the state,” HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin said in a statement.

He said there are over 12,541 SSA teachers and the question arises as to what will be the fate of the over 5,000 schools and the students.

Kharjahrin also asked if the schools around 2,907 lower primary (LP) and 2,259 upper primary (UP) be closed down just because of the adamant attitude of the state government.

“In 2021, we have ministers who had failed in class 12 for three consecutive times, so does it means that in the coming years, we will have those who failed class 10 for three times and those who will use thump impression as ministers – where is the future of the state if the government continues to take issue of the teachers lightly,” he said.  

The HYC president also questioned as to why the Centre is not releasing the salary of the SSA teachers in Meghalaya whereas such problem is not heard in other states of the country.

“We want to know on what ground the fund is not release when the SSA is a scheme already sanctioned in the union budget,” he said.

“It also makes us to suspect that the state government is lying that the fund is yet to be released by the Centre. If that is the case, why the state government cannot take up the matter directly with the Centre,” Kharjahrin said while demanding the state government to immediately release the pending salaries of the SSA teachers.  

He said the HYC also demands the government to consider enhancing the salary of the SSA teachers as well as regularizing their services as was done in other states of the country.