Shillong, Mar 4: A moment of dark comedy played on the floor of the House on Tuesday when Rongjeng MLA Jim M Sangma raised a supplementary question about the non-payment of salary of college teachers in his constituency.
When the House took up a starred question about Shillong Government College of Engineering, Jim raised the supplementary question. He said the Rongjeng Degree Model College teachers did not get salary for four months.
“Even the college’s principal did not get salary for nine months. He called me this morning and complained about his hardships. He even said that his wife has lost respect for him,” the MLA said on the floor of the House.
Many House members burst out in laughter at this comment.
Though the MLA’s comment led to a light moment in the House during the Budget Session 2025, the reality remains that teachers in Meghalaya have been suffering for years now. They did not get salaries for years. Ad hoc, SSA and LP school teachers led several rounds of protests last year to procure a part of their salaries.
The college teachers’ ordeal in Rongjeng won’t be a new incident in Meghalaya, where the government has failed time and again to respect its teachers.
Minister Rakkam Sangma assured us that the salary would be paid soon.
