SHILLONG, April 27 (NNN): The fate of the deficit school teachers of Meghalaya who are demanding inclusion in the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission will rest on the decision of the State Cabinet. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has assured that the matter will be discussed in the next 10 days. This assurance was made by Conrad to a delegation of the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) and Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers’ and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) which had called on him on Friday. Disappointed with the outcome of their earlier meeting with the State’s Education Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui, the teachers had decided to take up the issue with the Chief Minister. Emerging from the meeting, KJDSTA President ED Nongsiang informed that the joint delegation was quite happy with the assurance given by the chief minister, whom he remarked was very forthcoming and straight forward. “He (Conrad) has assured us that he would take up and discuss the matter related to the new pay revision for deficit teachers before the Cabinet within 10 days,” Nongsiang said. He said the delegation also briefed the Chief Minister on the need to consider extending the pension benefit to the teachers which is also as per the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission besides introduction of the Assured Carrier Progressive Scheme (ACPS) and medical reimbursement. On the state education policy and service rules, the KJDSTA president said that the Chief Minister said that within two months time, the government would be able to make public the draft education policy while the draft service rules is ready for circulation to the teachers for their views and suggestions. The joint delegation also raised the issue pertaining to errors in the school textbooks of Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE), to which the Chief Minister informed that soon the board will have a full fledged chairperson and the government would soon review the matter related to the textbooks. On the other hand, Nongsiang said that the issue of provincialisation of the teachers’ services was also taken up with the Chief Minister, who however expressed the need to have another round of discussions with the delegation on the matter.
