Agitating teachers scuffle with police during rally in Bhubaneswar

Teachers under the banner of the Primary Teachers Ex-Cadre Federation had a scuffle with the police during a huge rally in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

The incident happened when the agitating teachers were marching in the rally to press for their 8-point charter of demands. Their demands include cancellation of their deputation, abolition of the ex-cadre provision, and cadre inclusion provision from March 1, 2017.

Among other demands, the agitating teachers also sought salary to be disbursed through treasury and implementation of the old pension scheme.

As per reports, more than 20,000 teachers carried out the huge rally from Master Canteen square to Lower PMG Square in the Capital City. While the teachers were moving in the rally under the leadership of Federation Chief Sarat Chandra Nayak, it resulted in a scuffle between the police and the agitating teachers.

“We have been regularised since 2017. However, we are deprived of several government facilities. We are not getting our salary from the treasury. We are also not getting increments. We have not been included in the pension scheme. Our main demand is the cancellation of Ex-cadre provision,” said an agitating teacher.

“We don’t have any faith in the Education Department anymore. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should step in and give us justice. If our demands will not be fulfilled, we will commit suicide here. The State government will be fully responsible for it,” said another teacher.