SSA teachers seek govt intervention

Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Sep 20: The Central Executive Committee All Arunachal Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association (CEC AASSATA) on Wednesday called on the state government to immediately redress its grievances.
The SSA teachers of the state, under the banner of CEC AASSATA have been demanding that the state government provide single window entry for PRT/Assistant Teachers at Director of Elementary Education (DEE); batch wise regularization (one batch in a year), besides enhancement of salaries for which the Association had already resorted to series of democratic movement, including a massive rally at Itanagar in April 2016.
Addressing a press conference, CEC AASSATA General Secretary Tarak Agung Tarh expressed deep resentment over the government’s alleged lackadaisical attitude towards the demands of the SSA teachers despite giving written assurance.
Earlier, the Association had called off its third phase of agitation following an assurance from the state government.
Claiming that despite passing of around 11 months since the third phase of agitation, the government has not initiated any step to redress the grievances of SSA teachers, the Association lamented that 11 months are enough to formulate a proper and tangible mechanism to redress the grievances of SSA teachers of the state.
Justifying its demand for single window entry of PRT/Assistant Teachers at Director of Elementary Education, the Association claimed that the single window entry system will not only facilitate regularization opportunities for in-service SSA teachers but also provide job opportunities to unemployed youths of the state.
The Association suggested that the government frame a single window entry policy under DEE and appoint the in-service SSA teachers and fill up the APTET/CTET holders in the resultant vacancies of regularized SSA teachers.
Making a strong pitch for “equal pay for equal work”, the Association strongly demanded the state government for enhancement of SSA teachers’ salaries as per the recommendations of the 7th CPC.
It claimed that Education Minister Honchun Ngandam had assured to enhance the salary of in-service SSA teachers in pretext of the 7th CPC and as per the Bidol Tayeng Committee Report and recommendation during a meeting held on March 5 last this year.
Strongly opposing the purported fax/e-mail on September 11, 2017, allegedly sent to all DDSEs by the Joint Director, DEE directing them to furnish the list of in-service SSA teachers having APTET/CTET on or before September 25 next for regularization, the Association demanded that the state government, particularly the department concerned, to immediately revoke the same.
Criticizing the department for allegedly applying such partiality and nepotism, the Association stated that such move of the government will deprive many teachers of their rights and demanded immediate revocation of the same.
It threatened to resume its rigorous democratic movements if the government fails to fulfil all the demands within September 30 next.