The indefinite sit-in demonstration by SSA school teachers under the banner of All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers’ Association (AMSSASTA) at Malki Ground here reached its eight day today.
The SSA school teachers began their protest on October 1 demanding an increase of their salary by 100 per cent.
Till date, the State government has not called them for talks on their demand. Recently, adviser to the Education Department Himalaya M. Shangpliang visited them but did not give any assurance on their demand.
Speaking to media persons at the protest site today, AMSSASTA general secretary Wanpyndap Lapang expressed concern over the lack of response from the government on the issues raised by the association.
“If the State government remains adamant we will be compelled to resort to stronger methods of protest,” Lapang said, adding that the decision would be taken after members of the association from Garo Hills arrived in the coming days.
Yesterday, AMSSASTA wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in increasing the salary of over 13,000 SSA school teachers in the State.
Citing “horrible suffering of SSA teachers” in Meghalaya, the association urged the prime minister to take prompt action regarding the 100 per cent enhancement of the salaries considering the cost of living and inflation.
The association said in the letter to Modi that the teachers received their last salary revision in 2016-17, adding that the current salary ranges from Rs 9,200 to Rs 19,044 for lower primary school teachers and Rs 9,900 to Rs 20,493 for upper primary school teachers.
“Due to the reluctance of the State government to fulfill our demands, the SSA school teachers from all sections of religions and communities were compelled to take out sit-in demonstration in Shillong since October 1 till this Puja vacation to show our protest against the failure of the State government,” the AMSSASTA said in the letter to Modi
