Assam: SAKP hails Cabinet decision to increase teachers’ earned leave

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) has welcomed the state Cabinet’s decision to increase annual earned leave (EL) for teachers from the existing 10 days to 15 days, describing it as a long-pending and justified step for the teaching community.

Reacting to the Cabinet decision, SAKP president Dwipen Sarma and general secretary Pankaj Barman said the move has partially addressed the longstanding disparity under which teachers received only 10 days of earned leave annually, while other state government employees receive 30 days. They stated that the increase provides some relief and acknowledges the legitimacy of the organization’s demand, which the Parishad has repeatedly raised before the government since 2011.

The leaders recalled that the issue had been discussed at several levels. During a meeting with the Chief Minister on January 11, 2025, they raised the matter. Later, at a high-level discussion held on June 1 the same year in the presence of the Chief Minister, the Education Minister, the Chief Secretary, the Finance Secretary and senior departmental officials, representatives of SAKP and teachers’ bodies were informed that the Cabinet would take a final decision at a subsequent meeting. The Chief Minister also made public announcements on the matter during two separate conferences of the Parishad.

They further pointed out that although the Chief Minister had earlier decided to raise the earned leave to 24 days per year, the government did not implement the decision.

While reiterating that SAKP’s original demand was to grant teachers the same 30 days of earned leave as other state government employees, the organization described the latest decision to increase it to 15 days as a positive and partial fulfillment of that demand. The Parishad expressed hope that the government will take further steps in future to remove the remaining disparity.

SAKP also urged the state government to issue the necessary official notification and implement the Cabinet decision before the announcement of the upcoming Assembly elections.

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