Staff reporter
Guwahati: Scores of Education Volunteers (EVs) and Additional Education Volunteers (AEVs) staged a protest outside the Sarba Shiksha Abhijan (SSA) office in Kahilipara on Monday, demanding the immediate release of their pending salaries. Many of the protesters, who have not received their honorariums since March, braved the scorching summer heat to voice their grievances against what they called “neglect and betrayal” by the authorities.
The protestors, continuing to work in classrooms despite non-payment, said they were forced to take to the streets due to worsening financial hardship. “We are continuing our duties in classrooms, but how long can we survive without salaries?” asked one demonstrator. They alleged that repeated appeals to the authorities had been ignored.
The demonstrators accused the state government of failing to honour its election promises, including the regularization of services and salary hikes. “In its manifesto, the BJP had promised to regularize our services and increase our wages. Computer teachers and shiksha mitras have been regularized, but we have been sidelined,” said one EV, noting that many among them have been serving since as early as 2003.
“We are all graduates, selected through district-level recruitment panels. We deserve dignity, not neglect,” said another protestor.
Several protestors expressed anguish over their deteriorating financial conditions. “We have children to feed and elderly parents to care for. Without salaries, we’re falling into debt,” one AEV said. Another protester suffering from chronic health issues said she had to delay treatment due to the lack of funds. “I appeal to the government to release our wages. This is our basic right,” she said.
They warned that they would intensify their agitation if their demands are not met within a week.
Responding to the protest, the District Mission Coordinator of SSA Kamrup (Metro) said that a severe fund shortage is the reason behind the delay in disbursing honorariums. In a letter addressed to the Mission Director in March, the official stated that the district has 116 EVs and 70 AEVs working under the National Residential Special Training Centre (NRSTC) scheme, requiring Rs 12,09,000 monthly for their payments.
However, the SSA office received only Rs 7,67,000 for February and March 2025 combined — enough to pay 117 EVs and only 5 AEVs. This left the remaining 65 AEVs and a substantial number of EVs unpaid. The letter highlighted a shortfall of Rs 4,42,000 for February and a complete lack of funds for March.
SSA officials said they have already appealed to the state Mission Director for urgent financial assistance.
As the deadlock continues, the future of over 180 EVs and AEVs in Kamrup (Metro) remains uncertain. With mounting personal and financial responsibilities, many say they are nearing breaking point and have urged the government to act before the crisis worsens.
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