Contract teachers stage demo in front of Odisha Assly

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 15:

A day after contract high school teachers gheraoed District Education Offices (DEOs) across the state, the members of the Odisha Contract Teachers’ Association (OCTA) staged demonstration in front of the state Assembly here today.

Scores of teachers owing allegiance to the teachers’s body put up demonstration in front of the Assembly today. The members shouted slogans against the government for its alleged apathetic attitude towards them.

We have decided to go on a hunger strike from tomorrow, a member of the OCTA said.

Around 5, 000 contract high school teachers resumed their agitation yesterday demanding re-engagement of dismissed teachers.

The aggrieved teachers gheraoed DEOs across the state to press for their demands.

It may be mentioned that the association, on December 2, had announced to suspend its stir till second week of this month following assurance from the state government to reinstate all retrenched contractual teachers.

Notably, the state government had cancelled appointment of nearly 4, 000 contractual teachers’ appointed after June 11 this year following High Court orders and the contractual teachers were on a stir demanding reinstatement.

School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra had assured that a decision with regard to reappointment of retrenched contract teachers would be taken by the second week of December to sort out the issue. Following assurance from the minister, the striking teachers had called off their stir.

However, the teachers again resorted to agitation as no announcement was made from the government on the issue of reinstatement of contractual teachers.