– Shabana Javed
Kolkata, Mar. 6: Teachers of government madrasas have accused the government of being negligent in providing salaries to madrasa teachers. Government school teachers in West Bengal are paid on time but madrasa teachers are unable to get their salaries on time.
State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured that teachers and education workers will get salaries on the 1st of the month. Teachers and non-teaching staff received the promised salary. In many cases, it has been seen that the salary comes before the 1st of the month. Meanwhile, even though February is over, madrasa teachers of several districts have not yet received their salaries. Many teachers and education workers are facing extreme problems due to non-payment of salaries.
Tanmoy Chakraborty, a madrasa teacher in East Burdwan district, said, “The credit card bill has to be submitted by the 5th of the month. But I am still facing the problem of not submitting it.”
Obaidur Rahman Mallick, head teacher of a madrasa in Hooghly district, said, “Many of us have built houses with loans. As a result, if the money is not deposited in the loan account on the specified day of the month, they have to face difficulties. Moreover, on February 29, Madrasas, including many schools, were paid. But we haven’t been paid yet.”
Ali Hossain Midya, State Secretary of Madrasa Teachers-Educators Association, said, “The salary for February has been paid almost everywhere. I have received reports that Madrasas in most of the districts of the state are also paid. But in several districts including Burdwan, Nadia, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Hooghly or in some parts of the district, madrasa teachers and staff have not been paid yet. We want our salary to be paid soon.”
Madrasa Education Director was approached but he did not pick the call. However, according to the sources of East Burdwan District School Inspector, they are trying to solve the problem quickly.
