Shillong, 29: Deficit school teachers  on Monday expressed strong opposition against the alleged reluctant attitude of a district education officer to comply with the order issued by the education department for extending the revised pay structure to them.

Based on the direction of the education department, the Director of School Education & Literacy (DSEL) had on December 29, last year issued an order to all the eleven District School Education Officers (DSEO) for preparing of fixation of pay and financial implication for extension of the revised pay structure to teaching and non-teaching staff in deficit institutions.

“The DSEO of East Khasi Hills is the only one who has failed to comply with the order issued by the DSEL for compiling the proposals from the deficit schools in order to prepare the fixation of pay to know the financial implication,” they alleged.

It may be noted the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government had approved and implemented the revised pay for government employees based on the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission.

However, the state cabinet is yet to approve the recommendations made by the Pay Commission with regards to teachers in deficit schools across the state pending the receive of the financial implication.

A delegation under the banner of the Khasi-Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) today met the DSEO of East Khasi Hills RM Pariat to seek clarification on the delay in the matter but the latter’s response was negative.

“She (Pariat) instead arrogantly told us that (the reason for her not issuing instructing to the deficit schools in the East Khasi Hills) she wanted to keep herself on the “safe side” because as per her information she would required more clarify on the letter by the DSEL,” KJDSTA president E.D. Nongsiang told reporters after the meeting here.

Expressing that the attitude of the DSEO has hurted the sentiment of the teacher’s delegation, Nongsiang said, “When the letter of the DSEL has specifically instructed all the DSEOs, we are surprised by the reply of Pariat which only reflected that her incompetency. We expect her to do her duty as she has been paid because the order is from the education department and not from us.”

He further stated that the attitude of the DSEO by refusing to instruct all the deficit schools in East Khasi Hills will delay the process of filing the financial implication needed for extending the revise pay structure to the deficit teachers in the state.

“The preparation of fixation of pay and financial implication is required to be completed by all the districts and submitted to the education department which would then place it before the cabinet for its approval,” Nongsiang said.

Asked, the KJDSTA president said that they would soon convene a meeting to decide on their future course of action if the DSEO remain adamant in adhering to the DSEL’s instruction on the matter.

Nongsiang said the association would also be compelled to file a complaint against the DSEO for defying the order.