The State Assembly continued to witness uproar as opposition Congress and BJP on Tuesday stalled the proceedings over the primary teachers’ dharna which entered its third day. Speaker Bikram Keshari Arukha adjourned the House several times.  

When the Assembly assembled for the day, the opposition members stormed into the Well of the House raising slogans in support of the teachers' stir. Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati stood up on a chair to know the response of the State Government to the Speaker's Monday ruling on the teachers’ strike.

The Speaker appealed to the opposition members to go back to their seats and raise the issue during the Zero Hour, but the latter remained adamant on their demand.  

To resolve the deadlock, the Speaker called an all-party meeting. When the House met after the all-party meeting, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narashingha Mishra and other party MLAs drew the attention of the Speaker to the primary teachers’ agitation and criticised the Government for not responding to the demands of the teachers.

In response to the Speaker’s directive, Science and Technology Minister Ashok Panda, in the absence of School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash, said the Government is well-aware of the teachers’ problem. While the department’s Secretary had talks with the teachers on Monday, the Chief Secretary was holding a discussion with the teachers on Tuesday.

The Opposition, however, continued shouting slogans despite the Minister’s reply. Congress MLA Bahinipati said they would not allow the House to run as long as the teachers’ demands are not fulfilled.

Then, the Speaker adjourned the House till 4 pm.

Notably, thousands of primary teachers from across the State have been staging their dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg since Sunday on their three-point charter of demands -- abolition of the contractual system, introduction of seventh pay scale, grade system and old pension system.