High school teachers in Odisha threaten to go on leave en masse

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government High School (Secondary) New Pension Scheme Teachers’ Association has decided to launch an agitation for fulfillment of their two-point charter of demands.

The high school teachers affiliated to the association have threatened to go on mass leave from September 26 if the state government fails to fulfill their demands at the earliest.

Classes at as many as 4,848 high schools in the state may get disrupted due to the teachers’ agitation, sources said.

“The state government has abolished the contractual system of appointment in Odisha recently. But, the high school teachers appointed between 2004 and 2013 have been deprived of the benefits. The government should take immediate steps to consider the six year contract period of the teachers as part of their service tenure,” said the association.

This apart, the association seeks six increments and old pension scheme for its members.

“Thousands of high school teachers will go on mass leave from September 26 if the state government does not take immediate steps to fulfill our demands. The agitation is likely to cause disruptions in classes at around 5,000 high schools across Odisha,” added the association.