Assured of salary hike before election, teachers’ postpone agitation

Shillong,Nov 1: Upper primary school teachers’ salaries will be enhanced before the 2013 Meghalaya assembly election slated to be held in February next year. The Meghalaya government had assured the agitating teachers of increasing their salaries in July but the delay forced the teachers to come out to the street.

However the agitating teachers under the banner of Meghalaya Upper Primary School Teachers’ Association (MUPSTA) was assured by the state chief secretary WMS Pariat Thursday that their salaries will be enhanced before the upcoming assembly election

MUPSTA delegation met Pariat in his office where the latter gave the assurance.

Earlier hundreds of upper primary school teachers came out on the street with the intention of taking out a protest march to the state secretariat against the delayed by the government to implement the hike in salary made through an official communication to them on July 20.

However the teachers were prevented from taking out the protest march by the police who had thrown a tight security net in and around the state secretariat. Later the MUPTSA delegation met Pariat to resolve their grievances.

Emerging from the meeting with Pariat  MUPSTA general secretary Kenneth Shadap told reporters,  “ The government has agreed to fulfill  its promises of hiking our salary before the upcoming elections.”

MUPSTA has been demanding a hike in the salaries  of assistant teachers from Rs 6000 to Rs 10, 000  and head teacher from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 with immediate effect from April 1, 2012. Shapad said that Pariat has also promised to get back to the association after 10 days on the progress made in this regard.

Because of Pariat assurance MUPSTA decided to postpone their agitation and wait for communication from Pariat. However if the government failed to get back to the association and informed them about the development the teachers said they would decide on the next plan for agitation.- By Our Reporter