Shillong, Sept 20: Teachers under the umbrella of Meghalaya SSA Schools Association, teaching in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan-sponsored schools has called off its proposed agitation after the Centre released Rs 132 crore to Meghalaya for paying their pending salary.
The Meghalaya SSA Schools Association had announced its first phase agitation by calling a two-day mass casual leave on September 24 and 25 in protest against the delay of the government in releasing their salary.
Meghalaya SSA Schools Association president, A.C. Rymbai and other office bearers, told reporters on Thursday that the association has decided to suspend the agitation after a meeting with officials of the state education department, who assured that the five months pending salary of the teachers would be released next week.
The Centre had released Rs 132 crore to Meghalaya, for paying teachers’ salary as well as other components under the SSA scheme.
The delay to pay the salary to teachers of SSA-sponsored schools in the state was due to financial crunch after the Meghalaya government was asked to bear an additional expenditure for payment of salary as the Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Union ministry of human resources and development had reduced the salary to Rs 15,000 per month for SSA lower primary teachers, and Rs 20,000 for SSA upper primary teachers.
Due to the this cut, the Meghalaya government has to bear an additional amount of Rs 34.10 crore in order to be able to pay the salary at Rs 19,000 per month for teachers of lower primary schools, and Rs 20,000 per month to teachers of upper primary schools.
Meghalaya has also to shell out Rs 27.66 crore as 10 per cent share for implementing the SSA scheme in the state.
Meghalaya education minister, Lahkmen Rymbui said that he would discuss with chief minister, Conrad K. Sangma on the need to release the pending salary of the teachers.