As SSA teachers continue to be on the streets demanding a 100 percent salary enhancement, the Meghalaya government has made it clear it is not practical to fulfil their demands at one go while informing that the Education Department is working out a formula to resolve the impasse.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma today told reporters that he could not meet the agitating teachers since he and other members of the government were busy with rescue and relief work in Garo Hills due to flooding.
Reiterating that the SSA is a central government programme where the state’s share in the salary component was only 10 percent at one time, the minister informed that since 2018 the Union government has been reducing its share by 5 percent every year.
“Now the share is 70 percent by the Centre and 30 percent by the state and next year it will be 65-35 and soon it will be 50-50,” he said.
Admitting that there are many financial challenges since 10,000 ad hoc teachers and 13,000 SSA teachers are demanding an increase in salary at the same time, he said that a formula is being worked out to help the teachers.