Shillong, October 13: Teachers and employees under the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) and the Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) on Tuesday began a three-day mass casual leave from October 13 to 15, saying the state government had failed to satisfactorily address their pending demands.
The two associations said they decided to proceed with the agitation after finding the Education Department’s October 8 response inadequate, particularly on their demands relating to the 2026 CPF Scheme, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and other pending issues.
In its reply dated October 8, the Education Department said Dearness Allowance at 43 per cent for January and February 2024 had already been released and the sanction forwarded to district treasury officers. It added that DA at 51 per cent with effect from July 1, 2025 and 53 per cent from January 1, 2026, along with corresponding arrears, was under process and would be released after verification.
On the Centralised Provident Fund, the department advised teachers who have State Bank of India savings accounts to apply for Permanent Retirement Account Numbers (PRAN) and submit their details to the concerned District School Education Officer for crediting employee and employer CPF contributions.
Teachers without SBI accounts were asked to await further instructions, with the department stating that the Board of Trustees was in the process of obtaining the necessary GSTN for mapping PRANs and CPF accounts. The government also said retired teachers had been permitted to withdraw accumulated CPF in accordance with applicable provisions.
Regarding the associations’ demand for representation on the Board of Trustees, the department said the request had been noted and that the BoT chairperson had been asked to review its composition and furnish appropriate recommendations.
On the demand concerning the CPF Scheme, the department referred to a Meghalaya High Court judgment dated September 10, 2026, concerning the CPF Scheme notified on March 18, 2026. It said any substantive objections to provisions of the 2026 scheme could be pursued through appropriate legal proceedings and that the department would abide by judicial directions.
The department also clarified that recruitment against sanctioned vacant deficit posts in non-government schools should be initiated by the respective School Management Committees, which are the appointing authorities, and then placed before the concerned DSEO or SDSEO for approval where required.
However, KJDSTA and GHDSTEA said the government’s response did not satisfactorily address their principal demands. They objected to the direction on PRAN registration and said their demands, including revocation of the 2026 scheme and restoration of the BoT arrangement sought by them, remained unresolved.
The associations have therefore decided to continue with the three-day mass casual leave and appealed to deficit teachers and employees to cooperate with the agitation, while asking parents and students to bear with them.
Meanwhile, the Education Department has appealed to the associations to reconsider their agitation and continue resolving the issues through dialogue and consultation.
The department said the academic session was approaching its conclusion and stressed that the presence of teachers in classrooms was particularly important, warning that disruption of teaching could adversely affect students.
It said the government remained open to meaningful discussions and hoped the outstanding issues could be settled amicably without disrupting children’s education.
