Shillong, Oct 3: The Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA) on Tuesday submitted a petition to the State government demanding release of their arrears and salaries at the earliest.
The petition was submitted to Education Secretary, W.R. Lyngdoh and State Project Director (SSA,SEMAM) Ambrose Ch. Marak.
According to a statement issued by MSSASA president, Aristotle C. Rymbai, the arrears of SSA Teachers with effect from July 2016 to February 2017 have not been paid yet, and the whole problem was due to failure of the HRD Ministry to transfer the sanctioned budget under SSA to the State as on scheduled date.
The MSSASA also expressed unhappiness with that the State Education department and the Congress-led MUA – II government for not releasing their salary for 2 months – August and September of the current academic year.
There are 5,766 Lower Primary and 6,715 Upper Primary teachers employed under the elementary education scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
“In the last 4 years we are facing problems due to non receipt and irregularity of salary and the same continued since the beginning of the current academic year. Besides, we would like to question the competent authority as to why the Education Department and the State Implementation Society after releasing the 3 months arrears, delayed in releasing the last year 8 months pending arrears of SSA teachers. Though the MHRD of School Education and Literacy has released the fund of 2nd Installment share under SSA for the year 2016-17 to the Meghalaya government since February, 2017, whereas the SSA teachers have not been paid,” the teachers’ body said.
“Like others, we too have our own obligations to the family and society as a whole. Moreover due to irregular transfer of salary and pending arrears most of the SSA teachers have to borrow money from other sources to pay the course fees to get enrolled for D.El.Ed programme of NIOS which has been made mandatory for all in-service untrained teachers teaching at elementary level (class I-VIII) to enroll themselves for the professional training on or before September 30 as per notification issued by MHRD on August 3,” Rymbai said.
Thye MSSASA requested the education department to address the matter and release the pending arrears and salary at the earliest on or before October 20, so that any further agitation by the SSA teachers can be averted in the coming days.
Earlier, the State Implementation Society had released 3 months arrears – April to June, 2016 and salary for the current academic year till July after around 8000 SSA teachers along with their family members come out on roads and held protest on April, 12 this year.
