'Integrated' teachers to take mass casual leave
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 30 2022:
All Integrated Teachers' Association, Manipur (AITAM) has announced that all it member teachers will take two-day mass casual leave on August 31 and September 1, as the first phase of democratic agitation against change in the mode of their salary payment from Non-Plan Head.
In a release, AITAM president N Prakashchandra Singh stated that 3480 ex-Samagra teachers were integrated and absorbed after a cabinet decision and by an order of the Directorate of Education dated July 23, 2020 .
The salary of the integrated teachers before absorption was funded by the centre.
After the in-tegration, the salary head was changed to Non-Plan Head and the said integrated teachers have been drawing salary from the same account head similar to all the employees of the Education Department, it pointed out.
AITAM mentioned that a letter issued by the Directorate of Education (S) on August 12 directed all ZEOs/DDOs and head of institutions to forward fund proposal, segregating the teachers as Samagra and Department.
This very letter is very confusing as it mentioned 3480 teachers are no longer Samagra teachers after their integration to the Department of Education (S).
The change of salary head will bring irregularities in salary similar to pre-integration of the said teacher as the payment of salaries and allowance will solely depend on the funding from the centre, it further pointed out.
The release also conveyed that education director, commissioner and education minister were approached by the Association apprising the grievances of the integrated teachers along with submitting representations/memorandum to them, but so far, no positive response has been received by the Association from the authority concerned till date.
The Association has no other option but to resort to democratic agitation as announced in the earlier press meet held on August 26.Further course of democratic agitations will be announced by the Association if there is no positive response from the authority concerned by September 1, it further cautioned.