Shillong, Sept 22: Education commissioner & secretary Vijay Mantri will meet the agitating ad hoc school teachers on Tuesday morning.
The teachers under the banner- Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM)- are demanding a salary hike in line with the teachers of the deficit pattern.
An official source said on Monday that Mantri will explain the stand of the government aimed at addressing their concerns.
The source added that to convert all categories of teachers comprising ad hoc, SSA and others into a deficit system or on par with government teachers, the state will have to spend over Rs 900 crore annually for the 25,000 teachers in terms of salary.
Earlier, speaking to reporters, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said based on the financial position, the government will take a call on the demand for upgrading adhoc schools to a deficit system..
“This is not a very new issue. This is a long-pending issue, but having said that, it is not very easy for the government to do because it involves huge financial implications,” he said.
The government had enhanced the salaries in 2021-2022.
“We will study and see if the financial position of the government is there, we will see in the future what we can do”, he added.
The minister said the commissioner and secretary had met all organisations, and added that the government will do its best to address the issue.
“But as of now I cannot say anything. I have to see because the government, whether today or yesterday, is a continuous process, but we have to see what best we can do for all stakeholders”, he added.
