Assam SRD teachers oppose SNA-SPARSH salary system, submit memorandum to directorate

A large group of State Recruitment Drive (SRD) teachers staged a protest outside the Directorate of Elementary Education office at Kahilipara in Guwahati on Monday, September 7 opposing the proposed disbursement of their salaries through the SNA-SPARSH module.

The protest was organised over concerns surrounding the salary payment mechanism for 15,029 SRD teachers across Assam. Teachers from different parts of the state gathered at the Directorate office and sought an explanation from the Education Department on why the existing salary payment system was being replaced with the SNA-SPARSH module.

The protesters also sought clarity from the Director of Elementary Education, Suranjana Senapati, on the reasons behind the decision and its implications for the teachers.

Responding to the concerns, Senapati said the decision to introduce the SNA-SPARSH module had been necessitated by technical issues. She said discussions were underway with Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to find a solution to the issue.

The Director indicated that the teachers' concerns would be addressed and that the existing salary payment system could be continued once the technical problems were resolved.

The protest subsequently moved towards a conclusion after representatives of the primary teachers' association submitted a memorandum to the Director. The representatives also held discussions with officials of the Education Department on their demands and the proposed salary disbursement mechanism.

The development comes as SRD teachers from across Assam sought clarity from the department over the salary payment process and expressed their opposition to the proposed shift to the SNA-SPARSH module.