Steps for timely payment of the salaries of college teachers and other teachers from primary level upwards were initiated by the Advisory Committee on Education which held its first meeting at the Meghalaya Secretariat conference room here recently, a Meghalaya Government release said.

The Advisory Committee on Education, it may be mentioned, is headed by the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister D. D. Lapang as chairman and Finance Minister A. H. Scott Lyngdoh and Education Minister F. W. Momin as vice-chairmen.

Included as members of the committee are Minister of State for Education R.A. Lyngdoh, Minister of State for Home R.G. Lyngdoh, Chief Secretary J.P. Singh, Principal Secretary, Finance and Planning P.J. Bazeley, the Commissioner and Secretary, Education, Y. Tsering, Director of Higher and Technical Education, Dr. C. Wolflang and Elementary and Mass Education Director T. Marak.

With regard to the demands of the college teachers, the committee agreed in principle to recommend to the Cabinet the granting of revised UGC pay-scales and other related matters so that salaries are paid as early as possible preferably by October 1, 1999.

Regarding the much vexed issue of seats in colleges, the committee decided that the Education Minister would convene a meeting of principals of colleges to sort out this problem.

Reviewing the irregular and untimely payment of salaries to teachers from the primary level upwards, the committee decided that the salary of such teachers should be paid on the first of every month like other government employees, the release added. Besides deciding to overhaul and revamp the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) through sanctioning of additional staff, the committee also decided to enquire into the several lapses of the board.