Northeast Desk, 5th August: The Meghalaya government has announced that it will hold discussions with the protesting Samagra Shiksha (SSA) non-academic staff regarding their demand for salary enhancement. Commissioner & Secretary of Education Vijay Kumar Mantri confirmed that the second meeting of the rationalization committee will take place on August 8.
Mantri stated that the committee, which was formed to review and rationalize the salaries of SSA non-academic staff at various levels, had made partial recommendations previously. However, the staff expressed dissatisfaction with the recommendations and requested a uniform salary increase of 80 percent across all categories.
He noted, “Their demand is for a uniform 80 percent increase for all, regardless of their tenure. This would result in both new and long-serving employees receiving the same salary, ignoring factors like seniority and experience.”
Mantri also highlighted concerns about the potential increase in salary disparity if the demand is met. For instance, the current salary for a District Education Officer (DEO) is Rs 8,000, while a Coordinator earns Rs 35,000. Meeting the demand would increase the DEO’s salary to Rs 14,400 and the Coordinator’s to Rs 63,000, further widening the salary gap.
The first meeting of the 20-member rationalization committee, held on August 2, produced five-point recommendations. The committee decided to address the complex issues in stages and consider factors like years of service and annual increments of 5 percent.
Recommendations include:
- Increasing the salary of Block DEOs to Rs 14,000 for those with less than 5 years of service, Rs 15,000 for those with 5 years, and Rs 16,000 for those with 10 years.
- Raising the salary of Block MIS Coordinators to Rs 15,000 for less than 5 years, Rs 16,500 for 5 years, and Rs 18,500 for 10 years.
- Enhancing the salary of Block ACSS to Rs 16,000 for less than 5 years, Rs 17,500 for 5 years, and Rs 19,000 for 10 years.
- Increasing the salary of Chowkidar, Cleaner, and Peon to a minimum of Rs 14,000.
The indefinite sit-in demonstration by the SSA non-teaching staff, organized by the All Meghalaya SSA Non-Teaching Staffs Association (AMSSANTSA), entered its fifth day on August 4. The protest included sermons and gospel singing at the demonstration site.
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