Arunachal Congress backs teacher educators, urges solution to salary delays

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has urged the state government to address the grievances of teacher educators and staff members of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), warning that continued delays in salary payments have pushed employees to the verge of an indefinite strike.

In a statement, APCC president Bosiram Siram expressed concern over the ongoing agitation by the Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Educators Association (APTEA), which has been demanding a permanent solution to recurring delays in salary disbursement for teaching and non-teaching staff of SCERT and 11 DIETs across the state.

The association has been pressing its demands through a series of protests, including a one-day pen-down strike on May 29 and a two-day strike on June 4 and 5. APTEA has also announced an indefinite “no pay, no work” pen-down strike from June 15 if its demands remain unresolved.

According to the Congress party, the salary issue has persisted since 2019, with employees allegedly facing irregular and delayed payments for several years. The prolonged delays have reportedly caused significant financial hardship, affecting household expenses, loan repayments, and children's education.

Siram said APTEA's primary demand is for DIET employees' salaries to be paid directly from the state exchequer. The association argues that dependence on centrally sponsored scheme funding often results in uncertainty and delays in salary payments.

The APCC president further stated that the issue extends beyond employee welfare and has wider implications for the education sector, as teacher educators play a crucial role in training future teachers and strengthening educational institutions.

“It is unfortunate that educators entrusted with shaping the future of our education system have been compelled to resort to agitation for redressal of their legitimate concerns,” Siram said.

He added that delayed salaries not only affect employees and their families but could also undermine the functioning of teacher-training institutions and impact the quality of education.

The Congress party urged the government to engage with the association through dialogue and ensure timely salary disbursement by improving coordination among the education, finance, and other concerned departments. It also called for a fair, humane, and time-bound resolution to prevent similar situations from recurring.