Retrenched Odisha contract teachers relaunch stir

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 14:

Around 5, 000 contract high school teachers today once again launched a statewide agitation demanding re-engagement of dismissed teachers in Odisha.

The aggrieved teachers gheraoed District Education Offices (DEOs) across the state to press for their demands. Besides, the members of Odisha Contract Teachers’ Association (OCTA) also staged demonstration in front of the state Assembly here today for fulfilment of their demands.

“We are not going to hold any talks with the government. We do not believe in its assurances anymore and would boycott the forthcoming HSC examination. We will sit on a hunger strike from Wednesday,” Pradipta Pradhan, president OCTA said.

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.