Odisha Teachers Observe Black Day On Teachers’ Day; Stage Protest Over Demands

Bhubaneswar: Teachers’ Day is being celebrated throughout the country on Tuesday as a mark of respect to the significant contributions being made by the teaching community towards nation building.

However, Odisha presented a different picture as lecturers observed the occasion as ‘black day’. They reportedly went to classes in colleges in different parts of the state by wearing black badges.

Similarly, a large number of teachers under the banner of Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) also staged a demonstration by wearing black badges at Lower PMG Square in state capital Bhubaneswar to press for their various demands.

According to sources, around 4,000 lecturers of the State Selection Board staged the unique protest demanding an increase in grade pay from Rs 4,600 to 5,400. They also sought the increase in grade pay with effect from 2016.

Claiming that they had urged the state government to increase the grade pay several times, but no steps have been taken so far to meet their demands. Therefore, they decided to observe the Teachers’ Day as ‘black day’.

Meanwhile, an inter-ministerial meeting is slated to be held this evening and a decision on increase in grade pay of the State Selection Board lecturers expected to be taken, sources added.