SHILLONG : Deficit school teachers in Meghalaya have launched an indefinite strike, rejecting the Education Department’s latest communication as little more than a modified version of its earlier letter dated October 8, 2026, with no concrete assurance on their pending demands.

The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association (KJDSTA) began the strike on Wednesday, with teachers gathering at Assamese Secondary School in Shillong, where association president Boswell Pala questioned the Government’s response and accused the department of repeating promises without delivering results.

Pala said the association had received the latest letter through WhatsApp on Tuesday night, initially raising hopes among teachers that their concerns had finally been addressed.

However, he said they were disappointed to discover that the communication largely repeated the contents of the October 8 letter, with only some modifications and a point-wise presentation of the issues raised in their ultimatum.

On the issue of Dearness Allowance (DA) and pending arrears, Pala criticised the Government for repeatedly stating that the matter was “under process” without specifying when the payments would be released.

He recalled that the October 8 communication had assured teachers that the DA enhancement and arrears would be released before the Puja holidays, but the latest letter continued to use the same explanation.

Questioning the prolonged delay, he asked how long the Government needed to complete the process and examine the financial implications.

The association president also raised strong objections to the proposed changes to the Centralised Provident Fund (CPF) arrangement, alleging that the Education Department was attempting to undo the 2023 scheme, which had been agreed upon by the Government and teachers.

Pala said the 2023 scheme was formulated after the Government had submitted before the court that a scheme was necessary under the Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and Colleges Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme Act, 1969.

He argued that the legislation mandates the establishment of a CPF and requires a corresponding scheme to govern its functioning.

Rejecting the Government’s position on the reconstitution of the Board of Trustees, Pala said the absence of a specific provision in the Act regarding the frequency of reconstitution did not give the authorities the freedom to change the board arbitrarily.

He further pointed out that the Board of Trustees has its own bylaws, which prescribe a three-year tenure, a provision he said the department was overlooking.

Questioning the proposed CPF Scheme of 2026, Pala said teachers had transferred the accumulated money from their individual CPF accounts to the centralised CPF account at Laitumkhrah in 2024 in accordance with the 2023 scheme.

However, he said the proposed arrangement would require the money to be transferred back into individual accounts, effectively reversing the earlier process.

He questioned the rationale behind such a move, saying teachers had already complied with the Government’s earlier arrangement.

Pala also rejected the department’s suggestion that the representation of deficit teachers on the Board of Trustees could be examined, insisting that the association wanted a separate Board of Trustees representing deficit teachers and employees.

On recruitment-related concerns, he alleged that schools were being prevented from advertising vacant posts and that approvals for candidates selected through the proper process were being withheld, contradicting the Government’s claim that recruitment was progressing normally.

Responding to the Education Minister’s appeal for teachers to return to classrooms, particularly as the academic year approaches its conclusion, Pala said the Government itself was responsible for the situation.

He maintained that teachers were not demanding additional benefits but were seeking the implementation of what they believed was rightfully due to them.

The association president also alleged that the Education Department had written to School Managing Committees (SMCs), asking them to make arrangements to ensure that schools continued functioning during the strike.

Pala described the communication as an attempt to pressure SMCs and turn them against the protesting teachers.

However, he expressed confidence that school managing committees would understand the association’s position, maintaining that teachers’ demands were legitimate and deserved to be addressed.

The indefinite strike will continue as the association presses the Government to resolve its outstanding issues, including DA arrears, CPF-related concerns and recruitment matters.