Kolkata: Around 1,000 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teachers working in government and government-aided schools in West Bengal launched a sit-in near the Education department headquarters here on Monday, demanding regularisation of their jobs.

A spokesperson of the ICT teachers said their jobs are set to end on September 30 as they had been appointed through private agencies under a contractual arrangement.

"The agencies have also asked us to hand over all relevant documents to the concerned organisations by October 9. We face uncertainty," said Babai Ghosh, a spokesperson of ICT Oikyo manch.

More than 3,000 computer teachers were appointed through several private agencies under five-year contracts a few years back.

While the tenure of some of them was due to expire this year, others were scheduled to complete their contracts in early 2027.

He said while the previous Trinamool Congress government extended the tenure of teachers appointed under the first five phases of the recruitment process up to the age of 60 years, teachers appointed in the sixth and seventh phases, including those recruited in and around 2022 through private agencies, continued to remain contractual.

"We demand the government intervene to protect our jobs and that our services be regularised or tenure extended," Ghosh said, urging either West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari or School Education Minister Dipak Barman to sit with them for talks "as we have high hopes from this new BJP government."

"We demand Rs 32,000 salary per month for contractual government teachers," he said.

The protestors sat on one flank of the road at Karunamoyee shouting "we want justice" as a police force stood nearby.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.