Lower PMG turned into a massive demonstration ground as nearly 13,000 primary and upper-primary junior teachers from across all 30 districts of Odisha converged on Mahatma Gandhi Marg for a sit-in.
The agitation, organised under the banner of the Odisha Junior Teachers’ Association, erupted over administrative delays in executing official notifications regarding the regularisation of schematic teachers. Holding banners and placards, protesters shouted slogans including “Regularise Our Jobs Immediately” and “Stop Deceiving Junior Teachers.”
Core Grievances Raised by Protesters
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Unfulfilled Written Directives: Demonstrators alleged that despite formal announcements to abolish contractual setups, operational execution remains stalled on paper.
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Pay Disparity: Teachers performing full-time duties continue to be denied standard pay scales and essential employee service benefits.
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Zero Social Security: Irregular service conditions leave families completely unprotected in cases of unexpected health or life emergencies.
“We have been serving under irregular conditions for years. The government issued notifications, but they remain confined to paper while our families struggle,” stated an agitated teacher.
Association leaders warned that if written orders are not issued promptly, teachers will intensify state-wide agitation and boycott non-teaching administrative duties. The School and Mass Education Department has yet to issue an official response.
