Bhubaneswar: The All Odisha Teacher Aspirants’ Association on Monday withdrew its protest after the state government assured the agitating candidates that their six-point demands would be addressed within four months.
The decision came after representatives of the association held discussions with the School and Mass Education Minister, the department secretary and other senior officials. The government also assured them of preparing a recruitment calendar, one of the key demands of the aspirants.
Association president Swagat Das said the government had agreed to their demands and provided timelines for various recruitment processes.
“Our main demand is a recruitment calendar. The government has assured us that a committee will be formed in the coming days to prepare the recruitment calendar. We discussed all six points of our charter of demands and the government has given us timelines for fulfilling them. We will inform all the aspirants about the developments. For now, we have withdrawn our protest. If the government fails to fulfil its promises, we will again launch our protest,” Das said.
According to Das, the government assured the association that the recruitment advertisement for Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs) would be issued by the end of September.
He said recruitment under the ST & SC Development Department for various teaching posts, including Sevak/Sevika, TGT and PGT, was also discussed during the meeting. The recruitment process for these posts is expected to begin by November or December, he said.
Recruitment for junior teachers and special educators is also expected during November or December, Das said, adding that the recruitment of TGT teachers through the State Selection Board (SSB) and Physical Education Teachers (PET) was also discussed.
The association had been pressing the government for a definite recruitment calendar and time-bound action on its demands. The aspirants had sought clarity on recruitment for various teaching posts and early issuance of recruitment notifications.
Das said the association was hopeful that the government would fulfil its commitments within the stipulated timelines.
“We are hopeful that the government will fulfil its promises within the timelines given to us. If the government does not fulfil the demands within the promised timeframe, the association will again come out in protest,” he said.
The association said it would now wait for the government to implement the assurances before deciding on its next course of action.
