Imphal, August 29: Responding to the call of the All Manipur Elementary School Teachers� Association (AMESTA) and All Manipur Secondary School Teachers� Association (AMSSTA), a large number of teachers today courted arrest in pursuance of their demand for payment of pending salary.

The agitating teachers alleged that their salary have been withheld for the last four consecutive months on the pretext of verifying the service records of the teachers to detect fake appointment cases in the Education Department.

As announced earlier, a large number of teachers converged in front of CC Hr Sec School to launch their court arrest agitation since early morning.

However a team of Imphal East District police arrived to disperse them and told them to gather at the ground of RDS School.

Later at around 12.15 pm, all the teachers were herded to the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Sanglen at Palace Compound where they were lodged inside and the gate locked.

At around 2.30 pm, a six-member delegation of AMESTA and AMMSTA went to meet the Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa following an invitation from the latter.

After giving a patient hearing to the complaints of the teachers, the Education Minister informed the delegates that the salary for the teachers in the hills have been released after their verification was finalised by the Deputy Commissioners concerned.

The only districts left now are Imphal East and Imphal West.

The Minister also gave his mobile phone to the delegates to confirm the matter from Education Director Ch Jayanta.

While talking on the phone, the Education Director reportedly told the delegates that the process for releasing the salary for the teachers of Imphal East has been completed, and is under process in case of Imphal West district.

The Education Director also assured that he would be coming within 40 minutes to talks to the agitating teachers.

After the Minister also called up Commissioner Education RK Angousana for accompanying the Education Director during the meeting, the delegates hurriedly returned to inform the news to other teachers who were waiting at the Palace Compound.

However, even after waiting for a long time, the Commissioner Education came at around 4.55 pm with no sign of the Education Director.

This attitude of the Education Director was flayed by the agitating teachers and demanded his resignation.

The agitating teachers also made it clear to the Commissioner Education that they would continue with their agitation until their demand has been fulfilled.

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