The Odisha Elementary School Teachers’ Association (OESTA) has requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to fulfil their ten-point charter of demands as soon as possible.
The OESTA alleged that though the association has knocked the doors of the Education Department for fulfilment of their demands many times, yet the department has not taken any step.
The demands include regularization of Sikhya Sahayaks who have been appointed since 2011, payment of Rs 2,800 as Grade Pay as per the 7th Pay Commission Recommendation, recognition of the Sikhya Sahayaks as teachers from the day of joining and provision of all facilities to them as per the Right to Education Act 2009. They too demanded that subject-based teachers be appointed in all primary schools and a provision be made for 15 days of paternal leave.
The association threatened to take to the streets if the demands are not met by October 25.
Among others, OESTA president Yudhistir Sahoo, secretary general Jeet Ranjan Mohapatra, general secretary Arat Bhanjan Sahoo, working president Bhagirathi Pradhan, Naresh Sahoo, Sibsankar Jena, Jyoti Prakash Agasti, Sunil lenka, Udayanarayan Patra, Anath Behera and Subrat Padhi were present.