Teachers' Day observed as Black day in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Sep 5 (UNI) Amid protest by teachers of private schools and colleges who observed the Teachers' Day as 'Black day', Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced a series of packages for the school teachers.

Addressing a function organised by the United Teachers Forum on the occasion of Teachers Day, Mr Patnaik said each Primary school in a Gram Panchayat deprived of high school would soon be converted into one.

He assured the teachers that 834 Upper Primary schools would receive block grant while 100 Girls High Schools would be provided with hundred per cent grant-in-aid. This apart, the Chief Minister said steps would be taken to fill up all the headmaster posts lying vacant in the school.

Mr Patnaik further said teachers on contract basis would be recruited to fill up all the vacant teachers posts in the schools across the state.

Hundreds of teachers from private school and colleges on the other hand, resorted to a novel protest by wearing black badges and observing the Teachers' Day as 'Black Day' to raise their concern over the apathetic attitude of the state government in solving their long standing problems.

On the busy Mahatma Gandhi Marg the teachers sat on dharna with their mouth covered in black cloth in support of their demands.

UNI