Teachers under the umbrella of the Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers’ and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) will take two days of mass casual leave in protest at the non-sanctioning of their first quarter salaries.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the GHDSTEA’s executive committee. The protest will take place on June 12-13.
“Initially, verbal instructions were issued by the respective DSEOs and SDEOs to prepare and submit salary bills with 46 percent Dearness Allowance (DA), which were duly accepted by the concerned offices and also acknowledged by the Directorate of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Shillong,” a GHDSTEA press release stated today. “However, despite the submission of bills and the passage of over three months, our salaries remain unpaid.”
The association has met the Chief Minister, Education Minister and Commissioner of Education seeking redressal, but to no avail. “Promises were made, yet the ground reality remains unchanged.”
The “financial crisis” the teachers are facing is pushing them to the brink and the association said that it will be nearly impossible for them to conduct half-yearly examinations, which would affect the students.
