Guwahati: Teachers body protest salary payment move, warn of directorate gherao

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association (ASPTA) on Saturday held a protest meeting in Guwahati over the salary-related issues faced by teachers appointed through the Special Recruitment Drive (SRD), and demanded a permanent resolution to the matter.

The meeting was attended by representatives of teachers’ organisations, intellectuals, prominent citizens and a large number of SRD teachers. ASPTA president Ratul Chandra Goswami led the protest, while general secretary Shailendra Kalita read out the memorandum of demands.

According to the association, teachers appointed on a contractual basis under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan between 2012 and 2021 were subsequently regularised through a special recruitment process. Following the Assam government’s Gazette notification in 2024 and subsequent directives, 35,133 individual posts were created for lower and upper primary schools for their appointment.

The association said that after joining the Directorate of Elementary Education, the teachers had been receiving salaries through the Treasury system, like other regular teachers.

However, following a government directive issued on July 31, 2026, steps were taken to shift their salary payment to the SNA-SPARSH module. The association has strongly opposed the move.

A delegation met the Chief Minister, Education Minister and Director of Elementary Education on August 1 and submitted memoranda demanding continuation of the earlier salary-payment system. On August 7, the association also organised one-hour sit-in demonstrations at District Elementary Education Officer offices across the state.

The teachers said the Education Minister subsequently assured them that SRD teachers would be removed from SNA-SPARSH and their salaries would again be released through the system followed until June 2026. In view of the assurance, their proposed indefinite agitation was suspended till August 25.

However, the association claimed that the salary records continued to reflect “FIN Assam–Samagra Shiksha Assam”, with Treasury Dispur and BMC shown in the relevant DDO details, prompting fresh concern.

The meeting adopted three resolutions. The association warned of legal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) if salaries are deposited irregularly into teachers’ accounts. It also threatened to gherao the Directorate of Elementary Education within one or two days if salaries are again paid through SNA-SPARSH.

The association further announced that SRD teachers would not submit documents to officials in connection with the salary process until the issue is permanently resolved.

Also Read: Assam Primary Teachers Revive Agitation Over Salary Payment System, Warning of Legal Action