Shillong, Nov 12: Representatives of the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) and Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers’ Association (GHDSTA) today met Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to apprise him of several long-pending concerns affecting deficit school teachers.
During the meeting, the associations submitted a joint memorandum highlighting four major issues that have continued to challenge the teaching community – categorisation of teachers, non-payment of dearness allowance (DA), non-implementation of the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme and problems arising from the new MAXIMS online portal.
The first issue raised pertained to the recent government statement on the categorisation of teachers, which, according to the associations, has caused anxiety and confusion among deficit teachers.
KJDSTA president Boswell S Pala said, “Things were unclear and it left us anxious about how we would be affected. But for now, we can be quite assured by the words of the Education Minister, because he said that the deficit teachers are out of the picture for now. They are not being discussed in the categorisation process.”
Pala added that while this was a temporary relief, the categorisation structure is expected to be declared by December 31 and implemented from April next year, though “it will not apply to deficit teachers as of now.”
The associations also raised the long-pending issue of DA arrears, noting that deficit teachers have been stuck at 43 percent DA, despite the government revising rates for other employees. Pala said deficit teachers were entitled to successive increases – 46 percent, 49 percent, and 51 percent – in line with government employees but have not received any updates or arrears. “We feel that this is discrimination and a form of injustice. No technical explanation can justify the delay. We have urged the minister to ensure our DA is enhanced at par with government servants and that arrears from last year are cleared.”
According to Pala, Rymbui assured that a meeting would be held on November 14 with the Commissioner and senior education officials to discuss the issue and provide clarity “We are quite positive that everything will fall in place and we will get our dues,” Pala said.
The third concern centred around the implementation of the CPF scheme for teachers appointed before April 1, 2010. Pala said many teachers are uncertain about the status of their funds, which are reportedly held in a single account at the Laitumkhrah branch. “We have received several complaints from teachers who have retired or are facing health issues but cannot withdraw from their CPF. Some have even passed away without receiving their dues,” Pala said, adding that the minister showed sympathy and promised to convene a Board of Trustees meeting soon to expedite resolution.
Lastly, the associations flagged the technical glitches and delays caused by the MAXIMS online portal, through which teachers are required to submit budget and pay details.
“There is a mess in the system. Some teachers’ names don’t appear on the MEGH-SIM portal, leading to delays. We have yet to receive our salaries for October,” Pala stated. He added that the minister acknowledged the challenges, saying that while digital systems are the way forward, they should not cause unnecessary hardship.
“The minister assured that if this new technology causes delays, the department will find a way out,” Pala said, expressing hope for a “compassionate and reasonable” response from the government.
Currently, the KJDSTA represents over 2,000 teachers across upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, while the GHDSTA represents around 1,176 teachers in Garo Hills.
