Meghalaya SSA teachers begin indefinite protest against govt’s failure to enhance salary for past 8 years

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 1, 2024

The All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) on Tuesday began their indefinite sit-in-demonstration demanding the state government to enhance the salary of SSA teachers by 100 per cent.

Speaking to reporters, general secretary of the association Wanpyndaphi Lapang said, “We have decided to go ahead with our indefinite sit-in-protest after the education minister Rakkam A Sangma informed us (during our meeting with him yesterday) that the government is yet take any decision on the demand put forth by the SSA teachers for hundred percent salary enhancement.”

“The government last enhanced our salary in 2016. After a gap of 3 years in 2019, we again requested the government to consider enhancing our salary. But eight years have passed, the request has only fallen in deaf ears thereby leaving the teachers with no option but to come out to the streets to demand their legitimate rights,” he said.

Lapang said the indifferent attitude of the government has affected the the SSA teachers to a great extent as they find it difficult to cope up with the day-to-day requirements of their families’ vis-à-vis the price rise of essential commodities.

Asked, the general secretary said, “We cannot comment on the government’s decision. However, we feel the if previous state governments can consider enhancing our salary, why not this present government? The Chief Minister has always mentioned that the education sector is one of his top most priorities so why is he neglecting the teachers? When the government has money to spend for festivals we fail to understand why would it not have money to look into the welfare of the teachers in the state.”

Admitting that the protest will affect thousands of students of SSA schools across the state, Lapang said, “This is a protest of each and every teacher and this means that teachers will not attend school till the government is ready to pay heed to our demand.”

“We have informed the school managing committees about our decision and we urged all teachers to join hands to pressurize the government to consider enhancing our salary, which is long overdue,” he added.