A day after the State Government informed the Orissa High Court that it would cancel appointments of nearly 4,000 contractual teachers, the Contractual Teachers’ Association on Saturday threatened to stage protests outside the residences of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra on November 26.
“The Government considers the contractual teachers as bonded labours. It had appointed the teachers despite the fact that there was a court stay on it. The Government is deliberately playing with the life of teachers. We will give a befitting reply to the Government by gheraoing the Naveen Niwas and the School and Mass Education Minister’s residence,” said Odisha Government High School Contract Teachers’ Association (OGHSCTA) president Pradipta Kumar Pradhan.
Notably, on Friday, the School and Mass Education Department informed the High Court that the contract teachers’ appointments made after the interim stay order on June 11 would be cancelled. The court posted the next hearing to November 26 and ordered the department to apprise it of the steps taken by it in the meantime.
In 2014, the State Government had published advertisements for recruitment of 5,364 contractual teachers’ post in various districts. Following this, several aspirants moved the Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) citing anomalies in the eligibility criteria.
The OAT, in November 19 last year, had directed the department to accept all the applications and not to publish the final list without its approval. Besides, it had given the go-ahead to continue with the process.
Several applicants had moved the High Court which passed an interim stay against the OAT order, besides serving a notice to the department on June 11 this year.
However, the Government gave appointment to nearly 4,000 teachers on June 12 this year on contract basis despite the interim stay order.
Contempt of court petitions were filed in the court, following which show-cause notices were served on School and Mass Education Department Secretary and Primary Education Director. These two officials yesterday appeared before the court and submitted an affidavit.