Bhubaneswar: The Odisha School and College Teachers’ and Employees’ Coordination Committee (OSCTECC) will stage a massive rally in the Capital September 5 (Teachers’ Day) demanding pension and retirement benefits for retired staff, raising the retirement age from 60 to 62, regularisation of contractual teachers, along with two other key demands.
During a press conference here, outfit convenor Ranjan Kumar Das said the protest will highlight five key issues—immediate release of grant-in-aid to eligible institutions, pension and retirement benefits for retired teachers and staff, enhancement of retirement age from 60 to 62, and regularisation of contractual teachers. He alleged that despite repeated assurances, the government has failed to act. On August 16, the teachers had submitted a five-point memorandum to the government, but no action followed. Between 2004 and 2025, over 5,000 teachers and staff retired without receiving proper benefits.
The committee also recalled that in 1994, during the tenure of late Biju Patnaik, 3,012 schools were taken over by the government. They urged the present government to follow that precedent and announce the takeover of all aided schools and colleges, saying it would permanently resolve teachers’ grievances.
On September 5, a massive rally will be taken out from Congress Bhawan to Lower PMG, followed by an indefinite dharna near the Assembly. Eminent personalities, intellectuals, and legislators are expected to join. The committee has warned it will intensify the agitation if the government fails to address their demands.
