Peeved at the Manipur Services (Revision Pay) Rules, 2019 notified by the government on 11^th July, more than 10,000 government teachers, including higher secondary lecturers, primary teachers and graduate teachers would go on mass casual leave from Saturday to demand reasonable pay scale. The protesting teachers burnt the copy of the revision rules to demonstrated their disappointment.

“The government has done great injustice to the teaching community with the recent revision of pay (ROP),” said M. Jadumani, general secretary of All Manipur Government Higher Secondary Lecturers’ Welfare Association (AMGHSLWA). “The government has downgraded the existing pay scale of government higher secondary school lecturers as well as lowered entitlements. How can this happen,” he added. 

For the primary teachers the existing pay scale for pay band-I was Rs 9300 to 34,800 with AGP of Rs 3000, the new ROP downgraded the scale to Rs 5200 to 20,200 with grade pay of Rs 2400. For graduate teachers the existing pay scale for pay band-II which stood at Rs 9300 to 34,800 with AGP of Rs 4300 has come down to Rs 5200 to 20,200 with GP of Rs 2400. For those teachers drawing Rs 9300 to 34,800 with academic grade pay (AGP) of Rs 4800 in the pay band-II category, this declined to Rs 9300 to 34,800 with grade pay (GP) of Rs 4400. 

Announcing the decision of a joint meeting of the affected teachers to go on a 3-day mass casual from Saturday, the lecturers’ welfare association secretary accused the government of double standard.  “While the government is increasing the pay scale for its employees working in other departments, why it is downgrading the teachers’ pay scale to the redundant 5th pay commission scale when 7th pay is about to be implemented?” questioned Jadumani. He added that the protesting teachers march to the education directorate and submit their demand for a reasonable pay scale. “Other forms of intense agitation may be employed if the government fails to heed to the demands,” he said