Contract High School teachers resort to indefinite stir

Bhubaneswar, November 10: As per their earlier announcement nearly 20,000 contract teachers
engaged in different high schools in Odisha on Monday resorted to indefinite
cease work agitation by staging demonstration here at Mahatma Gandhi Marg. 

With the State
Government not taking any effective step on their issues, the teachers under
the banner of Odisha Govt High Scholl Contract and New Pension Scheme Teachers’
Association took out a massive rally here from railway station and protested
the Government’s apathetic attitude towards their grievances. 

The agitating teachers
have been demanding grade pay of Rs 4,200 along with the basic pay, besides
basic salary of Rs 9,300, 10 per cent annual increment and pension facility
from the very first date of their joining.

“Last month we had
informed the Government about our grievances and even stated that we would
resort to agitation from November 10 for indefinite period if demands are not
met. But the Government has not taken any tangible step on it forcing us to
take to street,” said association president Purna Chandra Aech. 

He demanded that the School and Mass Education
and Finance department should sit together to sort out the issues without any
further delay. 

“At a time when the
State Government has taken a decision to recruit 5,634 more contract teachers
in high schools, nearly 20,000 contract teachers already engaged in different
high schools are deprived of basic Government facilities as per the General
Administration notification. Hence, we urge the Government to take up our
seriously,” added Aech.