BHUBANESWAR: Despite All Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation (AUPTF)’s announcement to withdraw its agitation, thousands of teachers continued their protest on Tuesday raising serious questions on the fate of education and mid-day-meal programme of lakhs of children that have been affected by the last 12 days.
Owing to the ongoing protest, elementary students of Class I to VIII could not celebrate Ganesh Puja, an age-old tradition, in hundreds of schools on the day. The AUPTF, under whose banner, various teachers’ associations were staging protests in front of BEO offices across 314 blocks, had announced to withdraw its stir from Tuesday following the meeting of the inter-ministerial committee chaired by Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha in the presence of ministers of School and Mass Education (SME), Higher Education, chief secretary, development commissioner, SME secretary and other stakeholders.
The federation members also informed that they decided to call of the strike as the government during the meeting agreed to take measures to address their grievances by December this year. However, several associations including the All Odisha Primary Teachers’ Association that were on agitation seeking immediate fulfilment of their three major demands - job regularisation with contractual posts abolition, pay hike and old pension - decided to continue their protest even without the support of the Federation.
“The agitation was called off without taking our consent. This has hurt the sentiments of many teachers,” said the president of the All Odisha Primary Teachers’ Association Sushant Behera. He said the association will continue its fight legally. Owing to the protest, several schools in Puri, Bargarh, Balangir, Koraput and other districts remained locked.
The agitating teachers in Puri, Kantabanji and other areas, on the other hand, observed Ganesh Puja, at the protest venue. Some of the agitating teachers blamed that instead of announcing to resolve their protest, the state government is trying to divide teachers' community to weaken their protest. They said their protest will continue till the demands are met. AUPTF leaders could not be reached for their comments.