Odisha: Primary school teachers give Jan 31 as ultimatum to gov't; might resort to protests in Feb

Primary school teachers from across Odisha are upset that the state government has not yet brought in any changes as per their demands. In a steering committee meeting which took place on January 17, Tuesday, the teachers decided to opt for mass leave and go on strike once more from the first week of February, if their concerns are not addressed by January 31.

Late in November 2022, more than one lakh teachers came together to hold a massive protest in Bhubaneswar. "Even after one and half months of protest, all the government has to say is that our demands are being looked into. We also met the authorities a few times during this period, but they turned out to be futile," said Tulu Dei, Senior Assistant Teacher from Utkalamani Government Primary School, located in Jatni.

"As such, we are being forced to protest again," she added. Dei further explained that students' school exams and other entrance tests were coming up in February. "Therefore, we do not want to take any such step which may affect the students. But since we have received no positive response from the government so far, we will be going on strike against our wishes," she stated.

The teachers' concerns date long back roughly to 2007. Their primary demand is the abolition of contractual employment. They have also asked the government for better pay, on par with the primary school teachers in other states. And finally, they demand that the new pension scheme brought out by the state government be scrapped and the old one be reinstated.

After the November protest, the state government had asked for time till December 20 to address the teachers' demands. However, the time was extended till December 31 and then again, till January 15. Speaking on behalf of all the concerned teachers, Dei said, "We request the government to resolve the matter by January 31."