A major section of school teachers in Odisha observed ‘black day’ on Teachers Day across the state today as protest against the government’s alleged negligence towards them. Tying black ribbons over their mouths, the teachers belonging to School Teachers? Federation of Odisha (STFO), an umbrella organization of 14 teachers organizations of the state, sat on dharna at Mahatma Gandhi Marg protesting against the non-implementation of grant-in-aid order of 1994 to the schools.
The federation has been sitting agitating for the past 27 days. ”Since the government is yet to take any decision over our demand, we are observing the sacred Teachers Day as a black day,” STFO convenor Prakash Chandra Mohanty said. The state government had on August 26 set up a seven-member minister-level committee to discuss the teachers’ demand of full grant-in-aid and seven of the nine teachers’ bodies had withdrawn their protest. STFO which is the largest teachers body in the state is continuing with the protest. The issue of teachers demand was also raised in the Assembly and is under its consideration. Asked for his reaction, state School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra curtly replied “It is upto them (teachers) to ask their conscience.”
Prasanta Patnaik 
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