SSA Teachers on warpath for non release of salaries

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 15, 2022

Three groups of SSA teachers on Friday expressed disappointment after the education department could not give any assurance towards their demand for immediate release of their pending salary.

While teachers under the banner of the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) have decided to call for an indefinite agitation from July 18, the All Meghalaya SSA Teachers Association (AMSSATA) and All Garo Hills SSA School Teachers Association (AGHSSATA) have temporarily called off their protest, which started here at the parking lot near the additional secretariat, after the chief secretary RV Suchiang had invited them for talks on Monday.

Leaders of the three groups had termed the outcome of the meeting with the Secretary in-charge Education R Rapthap as “unfruitful” after he could not give any clear cut assurance to them.

After the meeting, MSSASA president Aristotle C Rymbai said the association would stage an indefinite protest from  July 18, if the state government fails to fulfil their pending demands.

The MSSASA has placed four demands before Rapthap and they include releasing of five months salary – February and March of 2021-2022 and April, May and June for 2022-23 – salary enhancement for all 12,451 SSA teachers, providing more budget provision in the state budget and to merge all existing SSA teachers from the State Implementation Society to the education department.

“However, the outcome of today’s meeting was not successful as the government has requested time as it will take another two weeks for the central government to release the funds to the state for payment of three months salary,” Rymbai said.

Rymbai said that the education secretary had informed that the release of the pending salary will depend on the availability of funds and he is not sure whether the SSA will get or not their five months pending salary.

He added that the education secretary cannot give any assurance to the SSA teacher on their demands, especially with the demand of enhancement of SSA teachers citing that their demands are under process.

“We are not happy with the assurances given by the education secretary, hence we will continue with our indefinite agitation from July 18,” said Rymbai.

Meanwhile, president of AMSSASTA, Last Marngar said although the meeting with the secretary of education was not satisfactory they have decided to call off the agitation after the chief secretary had invited them for talks on Monday.

“If the outcome of the meeting with the CS is not positive, we will continue with our indefinite sit-in-protest against the state government’s indifferent attitude towards us,” he added.

Marngar said that the education secretary did not give any assurance with regard to their pending 5 months’ salary.