Odisha: Agitating teachers suspend stir till December 20 after government forms committee

BHUBANESWAR: The primary school teachers agitating outside the Odisha assembly put their stir on hold till December 20 on Wednesday after the government announced that it has formed a committee to look into their demands. United Primary School Teachers' Association (UPSTA), under the banner of which thousands of teachers from across the state were protesting since Sunday, announced the decision after a core committee meeting.

UPSTA leader Rajesh Mohanty said that keeping in view Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra's promise, the association decided to suspend the agitation for now. The committee has secretaries of the General Administration, Finance, and School and Mass Education departments as members. The committee will take a decision on the teachers' demands by December 20. The protesters said they would go on mass leave, closing down around 54,000 schools if their demands are not fulfilled by December 20.

The agitating teachers are demanding the abolition of contractual appointments, besides the old pension scheme and salary at central scale, among others. The issue also rocked the assembly, washing away the proceedings on Tuesday with the pandemonium continuing even on Wednesday. MLAs of both BJP and Congress met the agitating teachers and offered their support.