HC issues notice to Odisha government over employee strikes, seeks reply within a week

The Orissa High Court on Tuesday sought a detailed response from the Odisha government regarding ongoing strikes by various categories of government employees. During the hearing of a public interest case filed to restrict strikes, the Court issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Revenue Secretary and instructed them to submit replies within the stipulated time.

The Odisha Administrative Service Association (OASA) and the Rajya Amala Sangha were also directed to respond to the petition. The matter has been listed for its next hearing after one week.

Court Questions Impact Of Teacher Protests

While examining the petition, the High Court expressed concern over the current agitation involving primary teachers across the state. It sought clarification on how regular teaching activities were being managed when between 15,000 and 20,000 teachers had reportedly halted academic duties.

The bench referred to forthcoming examinations and asked how classroom instruction was continuing during periods of widespread teacher protests.

Previous Strikes And Examples Cited

The petitioner referred to earlier incidents, including the shutdown call issued by the OAS association during disturbances involving the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the 15-day strike organised by the Rajya Amala Sangha. These examples were cited to demonstrate how prolonged strikes had disrupted official processes.

The plea also mentioned recent agitation by teachers at the PMG in Bhubaneswar, which came up during the Court’s observations on the present strike situation.

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The High Court, after issuing the notices, has directed all respondents to file their replies and listed the matter for further consideration after one week.