Gana Sikhyakas stage stir before ministers’ houses

Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of Gana Sikhyakas took to the streets and staged dharna in front of the houses of six ministers here this morning demanding regularisation of their jobs.

They protested outside the residence of Ministers Debi Mishra, Arun Sahoo, Pranab Prakash Das, Bikram Keshari Arukh and Pradeep Amat. Meanwhile police detained 50 teachers who were sitting on a dharna before the house of Minister Debi Mishra.

The agitating teachers alleged that though five months have been passed since the state government had issued a notification for regularization of jobs of Gana Sikhyakas, no required modalities for the same have been released yet. Besides, the Government has put Odisha Teacher Eligibility Test (OTET) in the modalities to be released in the coming days, resulting which more than 17,000 trained Gana Sikhyakas would be deprived of getting permanent jobs, said a teacher.

" The State government had issued a notification for regularization of Gana Sikhyaka on July 25. But it is delaying the process on the pretext of formulation of modalities. If the Government make further delay in issuing the modalities, we will intensify our stir in coming days," warned an agitating teacher.

In his reaction, Minister Debi Mishra said teachers could have discussed the issues in stead of staging protest and the decision on formulation of modalities will be taken soon.