SHILLONG, JUNE 28: Adhoc school teachers under the banner of the Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) on Tuesday began their indefinite sit-in protest in front of the secretariat against the state government’s failure to enhance their salaries.
The decision came a day after Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had convened a cabinet meeting, which failed to discuss the demands put forth by the adhoc teachers.
Speaking to reporters, FASTOM spokesperson Mayborn Lyngdoh said, “We have decided to come back to the streets because we have been betrayed by the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government.”
He said the state government has failed to take any decision to fulfill its promises to implement the demands of the teachers after three sittings of the cabinet.
“When we met the chief minister and additional chief secretary DP Wahlang on May 12, we were assured that they needed only three cabinet meetings to solve the problems of the adhoc teachers. However, (the time sought) for three cabinets is over; we realised that the government has lied to us and it has betrayed us,” Lyngdoh said.
He said, therefore, the FASTOM has decided to stick to its decision made on May 12 that “we will come back and we will sleep on the streets of Shillong if the government does not respond to our demands.”
The adhoc teachers have been demanding an enhancement of Rs 18,000 and an annual increment of 5 percent.
When asked, Lyngdoh maintained that the teachers are not looking for dialogue with the government anymore.
“The time for dialogue is over, now the government should immediately issue an order for implementing our demands. If we do not get any order, we are going to sleep on the streets till the government is ready to fulfill its promises,” he said.
The decision of the teachers was also conveyed through the open letter sent to the chief minister and his cabinet ministers on June 12.
Meanwhile, FASTOM spokesperson said the teachers are ready to give back 2 percent of the 5 percent increment in the form of professional tax, if the government is in huge financial constraint.
