Bhubaneswar: Members of the United Primary Teachers Federation — who are on strike since September 8 — Friday announced to continue their agitation till the government concedes to their demands.
The protesting teachers are demanding the abolition of the contractual appointment system, salary as per the central pay system and reimplementation of the old pension.
Teachers of around 56,000 primary schools have been staging demonstrations in front of block education offices (BEOs) across Odisha.
BJP, Congress and the Parents Association extended their support to the agitating teachers. Meanwhile, the activists of ‘Student Voice’ — an organisation of students — gheraoed the official residence of School and Mass Education Minister Sudam Marndi here Friday in support of the demands of the teachers.
Earlier, the Director of Elementary Education in a letter to all DEO and BEO said most of the teachers have not taken permission from their higher authorities for leave and participated in the strike. He asked the BEO and DEOs to apprise the teachers that taking part in agitation without obtaining permission from their authorities is gross misconduct.
The Director of Elementary Education had also stated that there shall be 220 working days in an academic year and if the same will not be achieved during the normal working months, then it has to be compensated in the later part. He has asked the educational officers to persuade the striking teachers at the block and district level to call off their stir and join their duty.
But the agitating teachers said they will continue their protest until the demands are fulfilled by the government.
PNN & Agencies
