The opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) submitted a representation to the Commissioner and Secretary of the Education Department regarding issues relating to college teachers in the state.
The VPP delegation was led by Mawlai MLA Brightstarwell Marbaniang and party vice-president Kara H Chen.
The VPP said that several pressing issues are significantly affecting the welfare of teachers in Meghalaya and that these concerns have persisted for far too long, leading to frustration and disillusionment among educators.
One of the issues is the non-disbursement of Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG). Retired college teachers or their survivors are entitled to Rs 10 lakh DCRG as mandated by the government but many have not received the revised amount. Some retirees have received it, however, leading the VPP to claim bias and discrimination.
The VPP also raised the issue related to disparity in pay scale.
“It has come to our attention that certain qualified college teachers are being denied the UGC (University Grants Commission) pay scale, despite meeting all necessary qualifications. Instead, they are placed on the state pay scale, which is both unjust and demoralising. This issue is particularly troubling as UGC regulations govern deficit colleges and vacancies for assistant professors are advertised according to UGC norms. Many applicants meet UGC qualifications; therefore, it is illogical and unfair to offer them the state pay scale initially, only to later give them the option of switching to the UGC pay scale. This process creates unnecessary delays and frustration for educators,” the party said, adding that UGC-qualified teachers should be put on the UGC pay scale from the start of their appointment and not be forced to jump over bureaucratic hurdles later on when trying to switch pay scales.
Other issues raised included “unreasonable delays” in disbursement of PhD Advance Increment, the end of age condonation for recruitment of assistant professors, delay in confirmation of service, delay in disbursing placement arrears, etc.
