The Meghalaya government on Wednesday warned of stern action to the extent of issuing orders for "no work, no pay" or withdrawing the grant to the school managing committees (SMCs) if the agitating SSA teachers do not call off their strike and go back to the classrooms.
Concerned by the ongoing protest, Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui requested the SSA teachers to resume their classes since the state government had complied with requirements and is waiting for the Centre to release the first instalment for clearing their five months’ pending salary.
“However, if they don’t resume classes we have no other option but to either issue order of no work, no pay or we will withdraw the grant to the SMCs for those schools which are closed in spite of repeated requests by the government of Meghalaya,” Rymbui warned.
He said the government will be left with no option but to take drastic action against the SMCs concerned if teachers continue to be out in the streets depriving students of education.
Stating that the government will not shy away from its responsibility to solve the issue at hand, Rymbui however said, “There are limitations to anything and the limitation (demand) that we have to work together.”
He added that the government is committed to streamlining the system and taking measures to ease the burden and pressure on the teachers.
“Having said that, it is not a very easy solution so I request the teachers to resume their classes,” he said.
Over 6,000 out of 12,541 SSA teachers have been sleeping on the streets as part of their ongoing indefinite sit-in demonstration to protest against the government's failure to release their five months’ pending salary.
Rymbui assured that as and when the Centre releases the first instalment, the state government will immediately release to the SMCs for the payment of salary to the teachers.
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