Odisha Primary Teachers Postpone Stir; To Rejoin Duties Sans Dress Code

Bhubaneswar: Members of United Primary Teachers’ Federation on Wednesday put on hold their agitation and decided to rejoin their duties without dress code from tomorrow.

The decision to this effect was taken at the steering committee meeting of the federation. The decision to defer the stir for the time being was stated to have been taken keeping in view the ongoing HSC examination.

Emerging after the meeting, federation member Rajesh Mohanty said, ”We have decided to postpone the strike and rejoin the duties from Thursday. We will not abide by the dress code in schools. Besides, all teachers will stay away from CRCC duties until our demands have not been fulfilled.”

He further said that the next meeting of the steering committee will be held in the first week of April to decide the next course of action.

Stating that the government has hinted at inviting teachers for a discussion in days to come, Mohanty said, “If the government does not meet our demands, we will intensify our agitation after taking a decision in the next steering committee meeting.”

The teachers also alleged that the state government has not provided a single pie to schools for running MDM for the last six months while all teachers will not perform CRCC duties.

Such a decision of the teachers came hours after the Commissionerate Police on Wednesday denied them permission to stage agitation at the Lower PMG in the capital city on Wednesday, citing traffic congestion during the ongoing HSC examination.

The federation had sought permission to stage a dharna at Lower PMG in support of their multiple demands.

Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra raised the issues of teachers and drivers in the Assembly on Wednesday.