Alipurduar, April 1: Twenty-six teachers of high schools and higher secondary schools in Alipurduar subdivision, who had been appointed last November after they cleared the School Service Commission examination, have not been paid salary for the last four months.

Members of the Secondary Teachers’ and Employee’s Association (STEA) submitted a memorandum in this regard to subdivisional officer (SDO) Jiban Krishna Sadhukha today.

Other teachers, who joined at the same time in schools in Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri Sadar, are getting salary on time.

Sadhukha said the teachers were not getting salary because the Jalpaiguri district inspector of schools (DI) had not sent their names to the treasury.

“It is unfortunate that there was a negligence on the part of the district inspector. He should have instructed the subordinate concerned,” he added.

The SDO said he had discussed the matter with S.N. Roy Choudhury, director of the treasury in Calcutta on phone today. “I hope the problem will be solved within a short time,” he added.

Denying any lapse on his part, Jalpaiguri district inspector of schools, Mohammad Debarul Islam, said: “The finance department had put an embargo in mid-September 2002 but the payment of salary to the 26 teachers was approved in November. We had sent all the necessary documents to the Alipurduar treasury several times but they were returned.”

“While teachers in Jalpaiguri are getting salary on time, the authorities say payment is not possible to the teachers posted here,” he added

Secretary of Alipurduar STEA Sisir Sarkar alleged that teachers were also being deprived from the interest on provident fund due to the negligence of staff and lack of coordination between the treasury, the banks, the DI and the additional DI.

A teacher who is not getting salary said: “I have responsibilities towards my family. The situation is so serious that my family members think I have spent the money somewhere else. I appear to be a liar.”