The Nagaland Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association (NSSATA) staged a sit-in protest in front of Nagaland secretariat in Kohima on Friday. The association launched its third phase stir on Wednesday by organizing dharna in front of directorate of school education in Kohima for two days.
The SSA teachers decided to stage the protest on Friday after a meeting between the NSSATA leaders and school education director and other senior officials of the directorate remained inconclusive.
The NSSATA office bearers said they had decided to continue their agitation as their core demand for payment of their salary under the state’s non-plan budget was not addressed.
The association reminded the officials that the SSA teachers of 2010 and 2013 batches were appointed as regular employees through open recruitment vide advertisements (No. ED/ADMN/1/2009-10 and No. ED/EXAM/2010-2011).
The NSSSATA has been demanding 7th RoP (revision of pay), release of pending salary with RoP from January to March and transfer of their salary to non-plan head.
Addressing media persons in his office on Friday, chief secretary Temjen Toy said the state government has been examining SSA teachers’ demands and trying with all sincerity to solve the problems. Despite tight resources, the state government has been doing whatever is possible to solve their immediate difficulties, he said.
Stating that funds under the centrally sponsored schemes were not coming regularly, the chief secretary, however, admitted that there were shortcomings on the part of the state government. He said there was a loophole on the part of the state government while making appointments for which it is now struggling to find the solution to this problem.
Toy further said the government would not take any decision that is entirely disadvantageous to it but adequate time should be given for examining the demands.
He also appealed to all the aggrieved teachers to remember their responsibilities for the children, saying the education of the children cannot be compromised because of the agitation.
School education principal secretary Menukhol John said the SSA teachers’ salary is borne under the SSA scheme of the government of India and their salary is released only when the centre releases it. He added that the state government is trying its best to address these issues to the extent of paying their salary even if the central government does not release it on time.
On the three demands of NSSSATA, John said there are certain formalities to be followed before agreeing to 7th RoP as there are various categories of SSA employees working on fixed and contract basis.
