TET teachers display discontent, threaten to boycott Gunotsav

Teachers shouldn't leave classrooms and agitate on the streets: CM

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Thousands of TET qualified teachers gathered at the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Directorate at Kahilipara here this morning, amid tight security arrangements by the police, to stage a demonstration to protest non-fulfillment of their long-standing demands. The protesting teachers were, however, forcible removed from Kahilipara after some time by security personnel and taken to Chachal, where the protest continued for some more time.

According to the All Assam Primary TET Qualified Teachers' Association, many TET qualified teachers were stopped midway by the police while they were travelling to Guwahati from various parts of the State to participate in the protest programme.

Office-bearers of the association announced after the protest programme that they will give time till March 31 for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to resolve the issue, which involves the lives of 40,000 teachers. If no positive action is forthcoming by that deadline, then they would boycott the ensuing Gunotsav 2022.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister told the media today that he is averse to the idea of teachers and other Government employees resorting to agitations on the streets. The people of Assam are fed up of agitations, Sarma said, adding that there are courts of law for intervention if the Government is unlawfully depriving anyone. It is unacceptable that teachers are remaining absent from the classrooms in order to agitate on the streets and this type of activity should not become Assam's identity, he said.

The All Assam Primary TET Qualified Teachers' Association today submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Mission Director of SSA. The memorandum mentions that when Sarma was the Education Minister in 2020, the Governor of Assam had issued a Notification on July 1, 2020 on the basis of a decision taken by the State Cabinet, whereby it was stipulated that various facilities would be provided to TET teachers. However, the Notification has not been implemented so far, the association said.

The memorandum said that they have been receiving salary as per Rule of Pay (ROP) since 2013. However, they have not received enhanced Dearness Allowance (DA) and arrear dues since 2019. Though they have been receiving 5 per cent enhanced DA since January this year, yet they have been deprived of arrear dues for the last 30 months. Moreover, unlike regular teachers and other employees, they have not received DA at the rate of 11 per cent and 3 per cent till date.

The memorandum stated that since they were appointed under the Right to Education Act, their services should be unconditionally regularized with pay parity.

It may be mentioned that the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), the Assam State Primary Teachers' Association, the All Assam MV School Teachers' Association, the All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) and the Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association (ATTSA) have extended their support to the TET qualified teachers' agitation.

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