About 24 employees of the State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET), who held a long protest against their disengagement by the State Government 14 months ago, on Friday tried to enter to the SIET office but were stopped by the police.  

Notably, the State Government had taken a decision to close the SIET and hand over all its responsibilities to the Odisha Madhyamika Shiksha Mission (OMSM). Accordingly, it had slapped a closure notice on the institute on April 29, 2013, leading to disengagement of the staff members. These employees had joined their posts according to a Government process 20 years back, but when they were disengaged they were not served any prior notice.

Meanwhile, on Friday, OMSM Director Premananda Khuntia, flanked by two platoons of police force, took over the SIET office. But the disengaged staff members alleged that the action amounted to violation of a High Court order.

SIET Staff Co-ordination Committee (SSCC) leader Satyanarayan Sahu said the State Government didn’t follow a court order and handed over the institution to the OMSM though the court had put a stay over the closure notice acting on a writ petition filed by SSCC members.

On May 15 last year, the court in its order had said that if the petitioners are continuing under the SIET in their services, they shall not be disengaged without leave of the court and their salary shall be paid to them regularly during pendency of this writ petition. The court also ruled that if the State is proposing to close down the SIET, such order of closing down shall not be implemented without leave of this court.

“It is very unfortunate that the Government didn’t abide by the court order,” said Sahu, adding, “The move by the Government shows its autocratic attitude.”  

Meanwhile, the SSCC threatened to file a case under Section 420 against the School and Mass Education Secretary and stage demonstration in front of the residence of the School and Mass Education Minister, protesting the recent takeover of SIET by the OMSM.