Meghalaya SSA teachers urges VP to intervene into salary enhancement demand

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 16, 2024

Agitating school teachers under the banner of the All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers’ Association (AMSSASTA) have sought the intervention of the vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar into their demand for a hundred percent hike in their salary.

The teachers have been staging an indefinite sit-in-demonstration for the past 16 days.

In a memorandum to Dhankhar, AMSSASTA president Peter Thyrniang said, “(We) urge your honour kindly to take prompt intervention regarding the enhancement of the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ salary.”

He informed that despite submitting various memorandums on the matter since 2019, there has been no response from the state government till date.

“It has been eight long years since our salary has been enhanced. Since, the SSA scheme was implemented in Meghalaya, the salary of teachers usually increases every two to four years. In 2008, the salary was enhanced from 1,500 to Rs 3,000 (100%), in 2010 it was enhanced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,200 (100%), in 2013, it was enhanced from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,200 for LP teachers (53.3%) and Rs 9,900 for UP teachers (65%), in 2016, it was enhanced from Rs 9,200 to Rs 19,044 (107%) for LP teachers and Rs 9,900 to Rs 20,493 (107%) for UP teachers. However from 2017 till September 2024, no enhancement was given,” Thyrniang said.

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“Considering the immense economic problems, great hardship in looking after the family and our children who are pursuing higher studies in different streams and grades of education. The high cost and inflation which the teachers are facing today, we strongly believe that the demand for enhancement of salary is a fair demand for consideration, weighing our contribution towards education and the dedication to our job. We value our teaching profession and look forward whole heartedly to contributing to the education growth in the state,” he stated in the letter.

“So, our two mots important demands were – enhancement of salary and regularization of our post. The association has opted for the enhancement of salary since it is the need of the hour and for our survival in this high inflation time where we the SSA teachers are struggling to meet the needs of our family and our children seeking higher studies. The Central Executive Committee which was held on September 7 at Nongstoin had unanimously resolved to demand a hundred percent enhancement of salary as our priority demand,” Thyrniang added.