HT Bureau
DIPHU, Oct 19: Opposition parties have criticised the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the State government after only one Karbi candidate featured in the list of 215 teachers regularised for Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts by the Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam.
The critics alleged the move undermined the powers of the KAAC guaranteed under the Sixth Schedule and reflected the government’s indifferent attitude towards the region.
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Responding to the allegations, KAAC Executive Member (Education) Richard Tokbi clarified that only one Karbi candidate had applied for the online process initiated by the Directorate.
Addressing a press conference at his residence on Saturday, Tokbi said the regularisation drive covered teachers who had worked under the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) for five years or more as of July 31, 2024.
He said, “This was not a new recruitment process but regularisation of existing contractual teachers. Across Assam, 35,133 candidates applied online, of which 225 were from Karbi Anglong. The Directorate’s list for both Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong contained 219 names. After one death and two rejections on technical grounds, the total came to 215 — and only one Karbi name was among them because only one had applied.”
Urging against politicising the issue, Tokbi said, “There should not be politics in education if our society wants to progress. Under the leadership of CEM Tuliram Ronghang, the education sector in Karbi Anglong has improved considerably. The district’s HSLC results have risen from below 50% to over 75% in the last decade.”
He added that salary delays affecting some teachers had been resolved by the State finance department.
Tokbi also informed that there were 954 vacancies at the ME and secondary levels in the district — including 431 graduate posts, 311 intermediate posts and 52 subject teacher posts — and that an advertisement for recruitment would be issued soon after state approval.
The EM further said that under the Sixth Schedule Special TET for Karbi Anglong, 198 sanctioned posts had already received the Chief Minister’s approval and were awaiting clearance from the finance department, after which advertisements for interviews would be issued by November.
The press conference was attended by District Primary Education Officer Nilima Teronpi, DPO (SSA) Nayan Pathak and DMC (West Karbi Anglong) Hakim Rongpi.
