Art teachers seek pay hike

Bhubaneswar: Part-time

art teachers

engaged in different government-run schools staged a demonstration on Thursday in front of the residence of school and mass

education minister

Debi Prasad Mishra demanding regularization of jobs and hike in salary.

The teachers under the banner of

Odisha Kala Sikhyaka Sangha

claimed the minister had assured the

government

would increase their salary by October 8, but nothing has materialized yet. The minister had made the statement at a state-level convention organized by the sangha on September 22.

Sangha secretary Pradeep Kumar Das said the state has around 1,800 art instructors and they get only Rs 3600 per month. "How can we run our family with this meagre salary? The government should regularize our jobs and hike our salary," Das said.

The secretary claimed they were given appointments in 2013. "The art teachers are not getting fixed salary like regular teachers. They get money as per the class they teach," Das added.

"The state has decided to pay Rs 5,908 per month to art teachers, but we didn't get the revised salary. We have been writing to different leaders and government officials to fulfil our demands, but in vain," he claimed.

Another member of the sangha, Bijay Kumar Barik, said they had planned to stage a dharna in front of the state assembly but they stopped short after getting assurances from senior government officials and the minister.