Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 27: Amid the ongoing strike by teachers, the state government Thursday decided to provide grants to 397 more schools running under the School and Mass Education department.
The move, as was informed to the Assembly by School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, will cause an additional burden of `25 crore per annum on the state exchequer.
Replying to an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition members on the problems faced by teachers in the state, Mishra said the state government is taking all possible measures for the development of school education in Orissa.
Expressing concern over “poor remuneration” to teachers, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra said the state government should take immediate steps in this regard. “The Supreme Court has even directed the state governments to appoint quality teachers with good salary to ensure better education for students as education is their fundamental right,” said Mishra. “So the Orissa government cannot escape from responsibility citing its fund constraints,” he added.
Mishra further criticised the state government over large-scale vacancies in schools across the state. “The state government had admitted during the previous session that around 1.18 lakh teachers’ posts in all educational institutions in the state were lying vacant. However, steps to fill up of these vacancies are yet to be taken,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition further said that the strike of thousands of teachers has grossly affected the teaching and learning process and urged the government to take immediate steps to address the teachers’ grievance. MLAs of the Opposition BJP as well as some ruling BJD legislators also expressed concern on the issue.
In his reply, the minister said that the government requires some time to address the teachers’ issue. A seven-member ministerial committee has been formed by the government to look into this issue and steps would be taken following the submission of its report, said the minister.