Pasighat, Jun 5: The Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Educators' Association (APTEA) has announced an indefinite pen-down strike under the "No Pay, No Work" principle from June 15, intensifying its agitation over the alleged delay in salary disbursement to employees of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
The decision was announced following the successful completion of APTEA’s second phase of pen-down strike held on June 4 and 5 across all DIETs and SCERT institutions in the state.
According to APTEA, repeated representations, appeals and peaceful democratic protests seeking timely release of salaries through the State Head have failed to elicit a positive response from the government.
The Association expressed dissatisfaction with recent statements made by the state's Education Minister and the Commissioner (Education), claiming that DIET employees are receiving salaries regularly. APTEA maintained that the statements do not reflect the actual situation faced by employees on the ground.
In a statement, APTEA said it remains concerned over what it described as continued inaction and the absence of concrete measures to resolve the issue. It reiterated its demand for the regular and timely release of salaries to all DIET and SCERT staff members.
"As the government has failed to address the genuine grievances of employees, APTEA has resolved to intensify its agitation," the statement said.
Under the third phase of the protest, all members of the association will abstain from official duties, academic activities, training programmes, administrative work and other institutional responsibilities from June 15 until their demands are met.
However, APTEA stated that it remains open to constructive dialogue and urged the government to take immediate steps to resolve the issue in the larger interest of educational institutions, employees and the state's education sector.