Deficit School teachers under the umbrella of the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association (KJDSTA) and Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) have petitioned the state government to consider instituting pensions for them.
Speaking to Highland Post, KJDSTA president Babu Kular Khongjirem said that the deficit teachers who were invited for official talks today raised the issues in the presence of Chief Secretary Rebecca Suchiang and senior officials DP Wahlang and Ambrose Marak.
“We have raised this pension issue with the government because deficit teachers who render their services for more than 35-40 years are not entitled to pensions and have no security after their retirement,” he said, adding that the officials assured the teacher delegation that the matter will be considered.
With regards to their demand for enhancement of the death-cum-retirement gratuity from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, which is at par with the recommendation of the 5th Pay Commission, Khongjirem said that the officials have given a positive assurance to them that the matter is under process and an order will be released on the matter.
The government representatives also told the teachers that pending arrears of the revised pay scale of the deficit teachers will be released before Christmas.
Informing that the teachers also took up the issue related to the delay in the release of the monthly salary of the deficit teachers, Khongjirem said that the officials assured that this will be done through the budget estimation, allocation and monitoring system (BEAMS), which is an online computerized system to distribute the budget and to authorize expenditure and the Director will also see to it that the District School Education Officer (DSEO) does not delay the teachers’ salaries.
Meanwhile, the teachers also demanded to extend medical reimbursement to the deficit teachers, the implementation of the Meghalaya Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPS) for deficit teachers, uniform service rules and maternity leave, he said.
