After 21 days of indefinite sit-in demonstration at Malki Ground since October 1, SSA school teachers under the banner of All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers’ Association (AMSSASTA) today suspended their agitation following assurance by the State government to enhance the salary of SSA teachers in the State.
A delegation of AMSSASTA led by its president Peter Thyrniang today met cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and officials of the Education Department at the State secretariat here to discuss the demand by the association for a 100 per cent hike of salary.
“We have decided to suspend our agitation after the State government has agreed to our demand for salary enhancement,” Thyrniang said, adding that Lyngdoh has assured that the State government would decide on the salary enhancement in a few months.
The AMSSASTA president also informed that the proposed march to the Secretariat on October 23 has been cancelled in view of the new development.
Thyrniang however said that due to the model code of conduct in view of the Assembly by-election in Gambegre constituency, the State government is not in a position to announce the amount of salary enhancement and the date that it becomes effective.
He also said that AMSSASTA is firm with its demand for 100 per cent salary enhancement given the fact that the last revision of salary for SSA school teachers was made eight years ago in 2016.
According to Thyrniang, SSA teachers in lower primary school teachers are presently being paid only Rs 19,044 while those in upper primary schools are being paid Rs 20,493. There are 13,000 SSA school teachers in the State.
Meanwhile, the State Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya (SEMAM) has made it compulsory that SSA school teachers in the State should mark their attendance on the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) app.
SEMAM State Project Director Swapnil Tembe has issued an order mandating that all SSA teachers submit their daily attendance through the TIMS app based on which their monthly salary will be paid.
Under the directive, all