Bhubaneswar, Sept 22: In a sweeping show of solidarity, more than 10,000 government high school teachers under the New Pension Scheme (NPS) staged a massive protest at Lower PMG, Bhubaneswar, demanding recognition of their six-year contract service as part of their permanent employment.
Organized by the Odisha Government High School NPS Teachers’ Association, the protest spotlighted long-standing grievances of educators appointed between 2004 and 2013. These teachers, who served during the state’s financial crunch on monthly salaries as low as Rs 1,500–Rs2,500, were later regularized but denied benefits for their initial service period.
The association’s demands include:
- Inclusion of contract tenure in official service records
- Immediate release of pending national increments
- Equal treatment with teachers regularized post-2016 under the 2022 Repeal Rule
Despite repeated appeals, the state government has yet to respond, prompting statewide agitation. Association President Purnachandra H. affirmed that protests will continue until demands are met.
Teachers from all districts of Odisha participated, with key leaders such as Sitakanta Mishra, Niranjan Behera, and Subash Chandra Sahu leading the charge.
Protesters also criticized the government’s claim of ending the contract system in 2022, citing its continued existence in various departments.
