SHILLONG: 5th July 2022 (PTI Source)
On Monday, the government gave the ad hoc school instructors a pay hike, raising their grant-in-aid to match the deficit system. Teachers at several schools in the city have been on protest under FASTOM's aegis since April, demanding a raise.
The total cost of the decision is expected to be around INR 100 crores, and it will take effect on the 1st of July, according to the Meghalaya CM.
Teachers at the higher secondary, secondary, and science levels will receive a raise of INR 9,000 each. A secondary teacher who got INR 24,000 previously will now be remunerated with INR 33,000, while a primary teacher will be remunerated with INR 29,000 and a teacher of science will be remunerated with INR 31,000.
The Cabinet has decided, under the SSA, to raise the basic pay of lower primary, secondary, and teachers of the Hindi language, as well as fourth teachers by INR 6,000. Higher primary school teachers will be remunerated with INR 22,000, a substantial hike from INR 16,000. The wage for lower primary, Hindi, and fourth teachers has been hiked to INR 18,000 from the previous INR 12,000. With this change, the state will have to spend roughly INR 320 crores each year.
The cabinet also approved amendments to the Meghalaya Trades, Professions, Callings & Employment Tax Act, requiring all to be registered.
“Anyone having an income less than INR 1.8 lakh will not have to pay the tax that previously applied to those with an income of less than INR 50,000,” said the State CM. The previous 12 (twelve) slabs (Gross Income) have now been cut down to 4 (four), he added.
The government has decided to eliminate the provision of imprisonment for minor offences (for evading tax payment) that previously resulted in imprisonment of up to three years.
The CM added, "The cabinet has agreed to remove the provision of imprisonment for minor offenses (for evading tax payment) by adding a penalty of payment of four times the amount owed."
The cabinet gave the green light to the National Law University Ordinance, 2022, which will be referred to the assembly for approval.
"We will start from a temporary location and eventually establish a permanent one," the CM announced, adding that 60 (sixty) students would be accepted each year.