Guwahati, Sept. 20: The Centre has agreed to release “very soon” the salary arrears of teachers of government and provincialised colleges and universities in Assam.

The salaries, due for 33 months from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2010, will see the Centre cough up as much as Rs 4,62,68,49,490 (80 per cent of the total amount).

This was conveyed to commissioner (higher education) H.K. Sarma in a September 16 letter from Harpreet Singh, director of higher education, Union ministry of human resources.

The letter, under the heading, Revised UGC scale of pay to teachers in universities and colleges, states, “As and when further payment of the balance amount of arrears is made by the state government, it may seek reimbursement (80 per cent) of the central share. The first instalment of the central share will be released very soon.”

A team from Assam, led by Sarma, had submitted the proposal for Centre’s share with requisite documents for the 33 months’ UGC salary arrears to the HRD ministry before the letter was issued.

The development has come as a huge relief to Dispur as pressure was mounting on the state government from the teachers who had been threatening to go on strike if their demands were not fulfilled at the earliest. The move will benefit, among others, over 7,000 teachers from five government colleges and 189 provincialised colleges.

The state team’s visit was a follow-up of a tripartite discussion held on September 12 in Guwahati involving, among others, chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Sarma, director of higher education P. Jidung, Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA) president Rana Kumar Changmai, general secretary Jyoti Kamal Hazarika and publicity secretary Bedabrat Saikia.

At the meeting, Gogoi asked officials to examine why Rs 5,000 a month was being paid to a section of teachers, appointed between June 24, 2004 till April 30, 2009, despite them having requisite UGC qualifications.

The meeting also decided that teachers getting Rs 8,000 (fixed without any increment) a month would be considered for UGC scale if they have acquired a PhD or have got registered for PhD.

Besides, a uniform policy will be framed for another section of teachers getting Rs 8,000 (with other allowances) a month.

“It was also decided at the meeting that a professor’s post will be created in colleges according to UGC guidelines and those eligible for the post will retire at 65,” a source said.

Gogoi also appreciated the initiative of the ACTA to publish books and organise seminars, among others.