Bhubaneswar, 05 September (H.S.) : Hundreds of teachers from unaided schools and colleges across Odisha staged a protest at Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, marking Teachers’ Day with a renewed demand for Grant-in-Aid (GIA) benefits, pension facilities and fulfilment of other long-pending demands.

The agitation, organised under the banner of the Odisha School College Teachers’ and Employees’ Coordination Committee (OSCTECC), entered its 21st day. The teachers continued their round-the-clock sit-in despite Teachers’ Day celebrations being held across the country.

The protesters alleged that repeated representations to the government had failed to yield any concrete response, forcing them to leave their classrooms and join the agitation.

A key demand of the committee is to bring 194 high schools under the Grant-in-Aid system or provide them financial assistance at par with similarly placed aided schools.

OSCTECC representative Subash Chandra Dash said teachers of these institutions had been serving for years but remained deprived of benefits available to their counterparts in aided institutions.

“We have been functioning for years and fulfilling the educational needs of students, but were excluded from earlier Grant-in-Aid orders and policies,” Dash said, adding that the teachers were also seeking pension benefits, filling up of vacant posts and an increase in the retirement age from 60 to 62 years.

The protesters also demanded pension benefits for eligible teachers and employees and the filling of vacant posts in educational institutions.

Another teacher alleged discrimination against those working in unaided institutions and urged the government to bring the 194 high schools under the Grant-in-Aid system or provide them financial assistance on par with aided schools.

Teacher Surma Patel appealed to the state government to consider their demands, saying the teaching community had been left with no option but to continue the agitation.

The protesters said it was unfortunate that teachers, who play a crucial role in shaping students’ futures, were compelled to spend Teachers’ Day protesting instead of celebrating the occasion with their students.

The OSCTECC said the agitation would continue until the government takes concrete steps to address their long-pending demands.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda