Assam Teachers Await Salaries Amid Administrative Changes

Salary Delays for Regularized Teachers

Guwahati/Jorhat, Aug 11: Approximately 200 to 250 teachers who were regularized from their contractual positions under Assam's Special Recruitment Drive (SRD) have not yet received their salaries due to discrepancies in their bank account information, as stated by Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Tuesday.

During a press briefing, Pegu noted that the majority of the 15,029 teachers involved in the regularization process have successfully received their payments, with only a small number facing issues.

“The remaining 200 to 250 teachers are experiencing specific problems with their bank account details, which is why they have not yet received their salaries. We are committed to correcting these errors to ensure they receive their payments,” the minister explained.

Pegu elaborated on the administrative challenges causing the delays, mentioning that many teachers were initially hired as elementary educators under the Samagra Shiksha initiative but were later reassigned to secondary schools due to institutional mergers.

“Consequently, they now fall under the jurisdiction of the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO), specifically the Inspector of Schools. Approximately 400 teachers' payment requests have been processed by the Inspector of Schools,” he added.

Additionally, Pegu revealed that the Education Department has opted to discontinue salary payments to SRD teachers through the SNA-SPARSH system.

“We have resolved to process their salaries in the same manner as other regular teachers. Although this may take a few days due to the necessary reforms, we will ensure the issue is addressed,” he stated.

The minister also assured that contractual teachers under Samagra Shiksha would receive their outstanding salaries by Tuesday, confirming that there were no issues with their payments.

“As the Education Minister, I assure all teachers that we will strive to ensure they receive their salaries on the first day of each month moving forward,” he emphasized, noting that government officials are diligently working to resolve the situation.

This announcement coincided with a gathering of around 250 SRD teachers at the Jorhat Sadar Police Station, where they filed a complaint requesting an investigation into the proposed transition of their salary payments from district treasuries to the Dispur Treasury, which is typically associated with government schemes.

The teachers expressed concerns about being shifted to the SPARSH payment system despite their regularization in 2024 and having received salaries through district treasuries for the past two years.

They raised allegations of a lack of transparency and called for a high-level investigation into the salary distribution process.

In the meantime, Pegu announced that the long-awaited teacher transfer process would commence on Tuesday.

“Transfer orders for both elementary and secondary school teachers will be issued in phases. However, we must adhere to the prescribed Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR). We cannot transfer teachers in a manner that leaves a school without adequate staffing,” he clarified.

According to the minister, the initial phase will focus on mutual transfers, followed by other eligible transfers where PTR guidelines allow. Arrangements for replacement teachers will be made prior to issuing transfer orders where necessary.