HT Digital
Thursday, October 3: The Department of School Education has taken a significant step to address the issue of unpaid salaries for contractual teachers who were recently regularized through a special recruitment drive in August. In a formal communication, the department has instructed both the Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE) and the Samagra Shiksha, Assam (SSA) to clear their respective shares of the salary payments owed to these teachers.The Deputy Secretary of the Department of School Education has written to the Mission Director of SSA and the DEE, urging them to fulfill their salary obligations for the teachers whose contractual jobs were regularized. The letter clarified that while these teachers are now part of the regular workforce, they were previously under the jurisdiction of Samagra Shiksha, Assam, during their contractual tenure. As a result, the DEE, Assam, cannot assume responsibility for paying salaries for the period when the teachers were employed under SSA.The letter explicitly stated that the responsibility for paying the salaries during the teachers’ contractual engagement falls under the purview of SSA. It directed the Mission Director of SSA to ensure that these payments are made. At the same time, the DEE, Assam, has been instructed to disburse the salaries of these newly regularized teachers starting from the date they officially joined as regular employees.This move comes in response to concerns raised by the Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association (ASPTA). The association had earlier reached out to Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, appealing for immediate action to ensure that the teachers who were regularized through the special recruitment drive receive their full salaries. The ASPTA pointed out that many of these teachers joined their new roles on September 16-17, slightly later than expected due to various reasons, and that several others had yet to receive their appointment letters.The association emphasized that according to the existing rules, the Education Department is responsible for paying salaries from the date a teacher joins the regular workforce. However, for the days prior to their formal joining, when they were still contractual employees, the payment responsibility lies with their previous employer or authority. ASPTA expressed concern that no official order had been issued to facilitate the preparation of salary bills for these days, leaving many teachers in a state of uncertainty and financial difficulty.The issue of unpaid salaries has caused significant distress among the newly regularized teachers, many of whom face financial challenges due to delays in receiving their full compensation. ASPTA warned that if the situation were not resolved promptly, these teachers would be forced to endure further hardships, especially given the critical nature of their roles in the state’s education system.In response to these concerns, DEE, Assam, has instructed district elementary education officers (DEEOs), deputy inspectors of schools, and block elementary education officers (BEEOs) to submit salary proposals for the teachers who were regularized during the special recruitment drive. The DEE has also emphasized that provisional salaries should be released for these teachers for a maximum period of six months, until the formal payment of their regular salaries begins as per government rules.The decision to clear these salary payments marks a positive development for the teachers affected by the delays. It demonstrates the department’s commitment to resolving the issue and ensuring that the teachers receive their rightful compensation without further delay. The provisional salary arrangement will provide some relief to the newly regularized teachers, allowing them to meet their financial obligations while waiting for their regular salaries to be processed.At the same time, the directive for SSA to clear the outstanding payments from the teachers’ contractual period ensures that no portion of their due compensation is left unpaid. By holding both SSA and DEE accountable for their respective obligations, the Department of School Education is working to address the long-standing issue of salary delays and ensure fair treatment for all teachers involved in the special recruitment drive.As the government takes steps to streamline the payment process, there is hope that these measures will prevent similar issues from arising in the future. Regularized teachers play a crucial role in strengthening Assam’s education system, and ensuring their financial security is a vital step toward supporting their efforts in educating the state’s children. With the DEE and SSA working together to resolve the situation, the affected teachers can look forward to receiving their full salaries and focusing on their responsibilities in the classroom.
