Kokrajhar, Nov. 22: The All Bodoland Territorial Area District Mother Teachers’ Association staged a demonstration today on the premises of the deputy commissioner’s office in Kokrajhar demanding pending salaries and regularisation of jobs.

A memorandum was submitted to Assam education commissioner through Kokrajhar additional deputy commissioner T. Chakraborty.

The association said mother teachers (who teach small children in primary schools) were appointed in 1997-98 during the erstwhile Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) and have been doing their duties in their respective schools since then.

“We were appointed in 1997-98 under the erstwhile Bodoland Autonomous Council and have been doing our duties since then but we are a neglected lot. The teachers have been facing acute financial constraints since the past 13 years,” said Tezimala Barman, secretary of the association. She said despite the high court order on March 26, 2004, the education department has not taken any initiative regarding the pending salary of the mother teachers.

“The Assam government has sanctioned Rs 14.18 crore in 2006 to the BTC, but the administration has been kept in the dark regarding it,” she alleged. There are more than 4,000 mother teachers in the BTAD.

Rebel killed

Security forces gunned down a KPLT cadre and arrested two, including the outfit’s finance secretary, during a raid on one of its hideouts last night, reports our correspondent from Nagaon. Finance secretary Rana Hisang and cadre Aro Killing were injured, while the slain cadre has been identified as Amphu Terang.