Amid the ongoing strike by primary and upper primary school teachers in Odisha, the State Government has written to all District Education Officers (DEOs) and Block Education Officers (BEOs) to ask the agitators to withdraw the stir.

“Most of the teachers have not taken any permission from their competent authorities and participated in the strike. This leads to gross misconduct. Further, you must be aware of the fact that there shall be 220 working days in an Academic Year. If the same will not be achieved during the normal working months, then it has to be compensated in the later part,” the Director of Elementary Education said in the letter to the DEOs and BEOs.

“A sub-committee under the chairmanship of the Director has been formed by the Government to examine and discuss the demands in presence of the office-bearers of the teachers’ association. After threadbare discussion with the office bearers of the association, the committee will recommend its decision to the Inter-ministerial Committee for taking final decision on the demands,” the official mentioned in the letter.

“In this connection, you are requested to appraise the matter to the teacher associations at the district and block levels to call off their strike and resume in their duties forthwith in the interest of the students who are being deprived of their right to education,” the official wrote.

Notably, around 1.30 lakh primary and upper primary school teachers under the banner of All Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation have gone on mass leave demanding fulfilment of their demands.

Upgradation of grade pay from Rs 2,200 to Rs 4,200, abolishment of contractual appointment for junior teachers and restoration of old pension scheme are some of the major demands of the agitators.

The strike has affected over 50,000 schools in the State.