Hundreds of teachers of the Odisha Teachers’ Association of the Blind (OTAB) on Thursday went in a procession to the residence of Minister of Empowerment of Persons with Disability Usha Devi here and expressed deep anguish over the department’s discrimination against them.
While the School and Mass Education Department is providing the Full Grant-in-Aid School teachers with pension and gratuity, the Special Schools teachers and non-teachers have been deprived of pension, gratuity and other facilities. This is highly unfortunate, the teachers rued.
The Minister assured them that she would hold a joint meeting of the Finance, law and concerned department to take appropriate step to fulfil their demands. However, in a meeting presided over by the association’s advisor Yudhistir Khatua, it was unanimously decided that their agitation would continue till the demands are met. Among others, secretary Basant Seth, Sudhir Mishra, Pradip Pal and Hemangini Rout were present.