A CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: Altogether 12,541 SSA (Sarva Siksha Abhiyan) teachers of 5,166 SSA schools in Meghalaya have not received their salaries for the last five months from August to December this year.
Of them, 5,814 are of Lower Primary schools and 6,727 are of Upper Primary schools. Needless to say, against this backdrop, they are facing severe financial problems with many among them borrowing money from their relatives and friends to manage their day-to-day expenses.
The 'Meghalaya SSA Schools Association' (MSSASA) has now decided to launch a 'Post Card Campaign' which it will send to the Prime Minister of India's Office (PMO) from December 15, 2020 onwards through offline and online modes.
It is their novel way to protest against the Ministry of Education, DSE&L, Government of India, failing to release the funds of the first instalment of the Centre's share to Meghalaya. This is reportedly the main reason why these 12,541 teachers are being deprived of their salaries for the last five months.
The president of the Meghalaya SSA Schools Association Aristotle C Rymbai said, "We have presented the issue of non-payment of salaries to the authorities concerned multiple times. During our meeting with the State Project Director, SEMAM-SSA on December 2, the Director informed that due to the delay in the release of the funds for the first installment to Meghalaya by the Ministry of Education, SEMAM-SSA was not in a position to pay the five-month pending salary to SSA teachers.
"The Director also informed that despite all the necessary requirements been sent by the State Government to the Ministry of Education and several meetings and discussions with the officials concerned of the Ministry, the condition has remained the same. Aristotle added, "While communicating with the official of SEMAM-SSA, Shillong last Thursday, I came to know that the funds are still lying with the Ministry of Education. The SEMAM official also stated that if the Ministry fails to release the funds within a period of two to three days, it will not be possible to release the salaries before Christmas. Hence, to pressurize the Ministry for immediate release of the funds, we have decided to launch a Post Card Campaign to the Prime Minister's of India Office."