By Anup Biswas
Haflong : At a time when the people of Hatikhali have been celebrating the upgradation of High School to Higher Secondary there were a total of five staff members, including a founding junior assistant, two fourth-grade staff and two teachers, have been deprived of their salaries for nearly three long years reportedly for the change of system from offline to online and forced to approach the High Court.
It is learnt that the Present principal of the school, Asit Kumar Sen, was trying his best to solve the salary problem, but everything seems to be in uncertainty.
The victimized staff have been running from pillar to post at Haflong and Dispur but nothing done till date which has forced them to approach the Guwahati High Court with the hope of getting justice this time.
Many people including students of Hatikhali argued for whose fault these innocent five government employees have to cry for their salaries? They were surprised on the overall role of the Inspector of Schools in Haflong, Assam terming this as a mystery. Because they questioned how can a school
Rathish Hakmausa, Sudhir Kumar Das, Hamzan Kemprai, Dayal Das and Deenmani Sinha talking the media said that in 2016, along with other parts of the state, online payment system was started in Dima Hasao district, since then the names of the above five government employees have been dropped from the official list. But the rest of the teachers in the school were getting regular salary.
Rathish Hakmausa, Sudhir Kumar Das and Hamzen Kempray have been working in Hatikhali High School since its inception in 1985 and have been receiving regular salaries since then. But the online system brought financial hardship in their lives due to nonpayment of their regular salary.
Besides, two teachers Dayal Das and Deenmani Sinha were transferred from Diyungbra and Wadrendisa in the last half of 2016 and joined in Hatikhali High School. Even then they have received regular salary. But from May 2019 till today, that is, for 30 months they were deprived of salary.
Sudhir Kumar Das, a fourthgrade staff of Hatikhali High School said that he could not provide treatment for his wife due to nonreceipt of salary thus he could not save his wife. Even now we have to live in poverty. Hamzen Kempri also lost his wife due to lack of proper treatment for nonreceipt of his salary.
Rathish Hakmausa, a junior assistant, said during Covid they had to deal with various problems. They has also to suffer a lot for supporting family or paying dues for higher education for their children not to speak about the burden of debt.
Teacher Dayal Das said, “We have not been paid since the online system was launched. It is difficult to say when the salary will be paid at all. In fact, we are in this predicament today only because of someone’s mistake. I request the Hon’ble Court to waive the arrears of salary and take disciplinary action against the culprits without identifying it. He felt there was an error in sending the official paper from the school. As a result, the name of a junior assistant was dropped except for two fourthgrade employees. Dayal Das said his four-wheeler was dragged away by the authorities as he could not pay the bank’s EMI regularly due to non-payment.
Deenamani Sinha said the only the victims know what happens if they were deprived of salary for 30 consecutive months. The burden of debt has led to a chaotic life. I do not understand what will happen to us.