The Odisha government, yesterday, on December 30, increased the DA (dearness allowance) and Dearness Relief (DR) for state government employees (in line with the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission on December 28), which includes the government school teachers. Though the teachers welcome this move, they state the benefits apply to regular teachers only and not to contractual ones. They also lament that their previously-made demands are yet to be addressed by the government.
Earlier this month, thousands of teachers from across the state conducted a protest in Bhubaneswar, where they were seen sleeping on pavements and braving the winter nights, asking the government to scrap contractual employment, increase salaries and scrap the new pension scheme. They had slept on pavements and after three inconclusive meetings with the government authorities, the government asked for time till December 20 to address the issues.
"On December 20, the government asked for some more time. We allowed a week," said Sudhanshu Mandal, President, Primary Teachers' Association, Odisha and committee member of State United Primary Teachers' Federation (the united organisation involving three teachers' associations of the state, which conducted the rally), conversing with EdexLive.
However, on December 23, the teachers gheraoed the residence of School and Mass Education Minister Samir Dash. The minister told them that their demands were being looked into, as per a report by Odisha Bytes. Then, after a week was up, when the teachers met the authorities on December 27, "They said that parlance with other states regarding the hike in school teachers' salaries was in progress and they needed further time. So we have given them additional 15 days' time," Sudhanshu said.
What if concerns are not met?
"The Chief Secretary (Suresh Chandra Mahapatra) has been asking for more and more time. If our concerns are not addressed, we may take to a state-wide massive rally," he added. Meanwhile, the government has been seen to adopt strict measures against the teachers for allegedly long absences from their duties. On December 30, the Jajpur district administration terminated seven junior teachers.
The direction of termination was issued by the District Education Officer (DEO) Ranjan Kumar Giri pursuant to the decision of the collector, as per a report by PTI. "They did not join their duties despite the issuance of several notices to them. Hence, they were terminated from service," Giri said.
Prior to this, on December 19, as many as 96 primary teachers from across the state were suspended for allegedly prolonged absences. Additionally, disciplinary action against 26 primary teachers was taken and show-cause notices to 154 primary teachers were issued by the government, as per Odisha Bytes.
During the ongoing rally in Bhubaneswar as well, a letter from the Phulbani Block Education Officer (BEO) was issued, asking the Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs) to submit a list of teachers who had asked for leaves. The letter had invited the wrath of the agitating teachers. "There is a chance that the government may resort to a no-work-no-pay policy," Nibedita Mohanty, a teacher from a school in Bhubaneswar had then said in a conversation with EdexLive.
