SIVASAGAR, July 24 - Members of the Sivasagar district Sadou Asom Betan Banchita Karmarata Sikhyak Santha (SABBKSS) have demanded immediate regularisation of their service and release of salary unpaid over the last 20 years failing which, they have threatened to commit suicide along with their family members in the historic Sivasagar Borpukhuri on July 26 next. This was stated by Basanta Neog, secretary, SABBKSS, here on Monday. A resolution to this effect was taken unanimously in an executive meeting of the committee the day before at Sikshyak Bhawan, Sivasagar, which was presided over by Kushal Buragohain, president of the association.
There are 1530 members in the district out of over 9000 in the State who, they claim, have been rendering services sincerely since 1996 after being appointed through interviews as per government rules and regulations and have been engaged in all government services like the census, elections, NRC upgradation etc., and yet they have been victimised for no fault of their own.
The secretary said that the teachers applied for the 15,000 vacant posts in primary schools advertised in 1991 and 1996, in two phases. When there was a lot of chaos that ensued after the appointments due to reports of some non-existent posts against which appointments were made, the government instituted two investigations under Iftiquer Hussain and Mukti Gogoi, both the then Upper Assam Commissioners in 2014 and later after the present government took office. As per the reports of the investigations, the government declared appointments in over 3000 posts as illegal. But the teachers associated with SABBKSS say that how can the government say that a section of the teachers was illegally appointed when the teachers themselves had no clue as to which post is valid and which one is non-existent. The association strongly demanded that all top level executives and policy framers in the government be brought into the ambit of the investigation and only then can justice be done to the cause of the teachers.
The secretary, Basanta Neog said that the investigation officers did not call all the teachers to appear before the investigative authority. Further, he said that the Congress government totally overlooked the plight of the teachers during their stint while the present BJP-led government assured them of an early settlement prior to the elections, but soon forgot about the promises made to the teachers once it found itself securely seated in Dispur. The committee expressed surprise over the apparent silence of the AGP on the issue even though hundreds of teachers were appointed during their rule in the state in 1996-1999. The committee urged the government not to go ahead with the reported move of the department to terminate the services of the teachers that served the state when most needed.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Joutha Sikshak Mancha, an umbrella organisation of all teachers' bodies in the district, expressed deep concern over the plight of the 1530 teachers who have threatened mass suicide on July 26 at the historic Sivasagar Borpukhuri. The meeting of the Joutha Mancha with Hemanta Bhunya as president and Tutu Borthakur as general secretary, held on Monday under the chairmanship of Samsul Barik demanded immediate attention of the government to the issue of non-payment of salaries to the teachers. The Mancha, through a resolution, threatened to carry out a democratic movement if the government fails to resolve the problems of the concerned teachers by July 26.
SIVASAGAR, July 24 - Members of the Sivasagar district Sadou Asom Betan Banchita Karmarata Sikhyak Santha (SABBKSS) have demanded immediate regularisation of their service and release of salary unpaid over the last 20 years failing which, they have threatened to commit suicide along with their family members in the historic Sivasagar Borpukhuri on July 26 next. This was stated by Basanta Neog, secretary, SABBKSS, here on Monday. A resolution to this effect was taken unanimously in an executive meeting of the committee the day before at Sikshyak Bhawan, Sivasagar, which was presided over by Kushal Buragohain, president of the association.
There are 1530 members in the district out of over 9000 in the State who, they claim, have been rendering services sincerely since 1996 after being appointed through interviews as per government rules and regulations and have been engaged in all government services like the census, elections, NRC upgradation etc., and yet they have been victimised for no fault of their own.
The secretary said that the teachers applied for the 15,000 vacant posts in primary schools advertised in 1991 and 1996, in two phases. When there was a lot of chaos that ensued after the appointments due to reports of some non-existent posts against which appointments were made, the government instituted two investigations under Iftiquer Hussain and Mukti Gogoi, both the then Upper Assam Commissioners in 2014 and later after the present government took office. As per the reports of the investigations, the government declared appointments in over 3000 posts as illegal. But the teachers associated with SABBKSS say that how can the government say that a section of the teachers was illegally appointed when the teachers themselves had no clue as to which post is valid and which one is non-existent. The association strongly demanded that all top level executives and policy framers in the government be brought into the ambit of the investigation and only then can justice be done to the cause of the teachers.
The secretary, Basanta Neog said that the investigation officers did not call all the teachers to appear before the investigative authority. Further, he said that the Congress government totally overlooked the plight of the teachers during their stint while the present BJP-led government assured them of an early settlement prior to the elections, but soon forgot about the promises made to the teachers once it found itself securely seated in Dispur. The committee expressed surprise over the apparent silence of the AGP on the issue even though hundreds of teachers were appointed during their rule in the state in 1996-1999. The committee urged the government not to go ahead with the reported move of the department to terminate the services of the teachers that served the state when most needed.
Meanwhile, the newly formed Joutha Sikshak Mancha, an umbrella organisation of all teachers' bodies in the district, expressed deep concern over the plight of the 1530 teachers who have threatened mass suicide on July 26 at the historic Sivasagar Borpukhuri. The meeting of the Joutha Mancha with Hemanta Bhunya as president and Tutu Borthakur as general secretary, held on Monday under the chairmanship of Samsul Barik demanded immediate attention of the government to the issue of non-payment of salaries to the teachers. The Mancha, through a resolution, threatened to carry out a democratic movement if the government fails to resolve the problems of the concerned teachers by July 26.
