SSA teachers decry pending salary, demands redress

EMN Dimapur, December 14 Teachers employed under the elementary education scheme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) are unhappy with the education department for not releasing their salaries for two months. An organization representing the teachers called the SSA Teachers’ Union of Kohima has demanded that the government release their salaries before the festive season. The organization issued a press release today addressed to the commissioner & Secretary of School Education. The group expressed displeasure that even on other previous occasions their salaries have been disbursed irregularly since the commencement of the current academic year. Yet again, the “SSA teachers” said, their salaries and arrears have been pending for two months, and complained that the “RMSA teachers” are being regularly but the teachers working for the SSA have been left out. “One earlier occasions, we were faced with problems of no-receipt and irregularity of salary since the beginning of the current academic year, consequently, a representation was submitted before your authority to take note of our grievances and your authority taking our plight into consideration disbursed our four months salary in the month of October 2013,” the teachers stated in their representation to the education department. However, the organization said, the irregularly continues to reoccur as in the past. The past inconveniences has been faced by us time and again as our two months salary and arrears are still pending and we are desperately in need of our pending wages. Besides that we would like to question the competent authority as to why the RMSA teachers are paid regularly whereas we the SAA teachers are not being paid?” the organization complained. “Like any other social beings, we too have our own obligations to the family and society as a whole; moreover festive season has approached,” the teachers explained. The organization has requested the education department to address the matter and release the salaries before the Christmas commences. In a related matter, the union has convened an emergency meeting of all teachers working under the SSA programme in the state. A separate note received here today from the unions aid the meeting would be held on December 17 in the APO hall at 11 Am to “discuss the serious problems faced by the SSA teachers.” The teachers from all the districts are requested to attend the meeting “to which the problems / grievance of the defaulters shall not be entertained in the near future,” the note said.