Coming under pressure from both the Opposition and Treasury bench members, the Government on Friday conceded one of the important demands of the Gana Shikshak Sangh, the members of which were on hunger strike before the State Assembly.

School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena, while replying to the admissibility of an adjournment motion on the problems of Gana Shikshaks, Shiksha Sahayaks m the House, announced that the Government would formulate a Career Advancement Policy (CAP) for the Gana Shikshaks.

He said an inter-departmental committee comprising of Secretaries of the Departments of School and Mass Education, Law, Planning and Coordination and Finance would formulate the CAP and related issues regarding making these teachers regular Government employees.

Jena said that in view of the Central Government winding up the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) centres on March 31, 2008, the State Government rehabilitated the Education Volunteers engaged in the EGS centres under the Government and NGOs as Gana Shikshaks. They were given emoluments out of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan grants. Since the qualification of these teachers was matriculation during their engagement, they had to give undertakings to undergo CT training and pass Plus Two to be eligible to become the Shikaha Sahayaks.

He said meanwhile the Government has organised a CT training scheme under the Distance Education programme and already hiked the monthly emoluments for both the untrained Matric CT, Trained Matric CT and Plus Two CT trained Gana Shikshaks.

Even they were given monthly emoluments during the training period. The emoluments of trained GSs have been increased to Rs 3,200 per month and the untrained Matric GSs are given increased emoluments to the tune of Rs 2,700. However, it has been decided that the trained GSs would be appointed as Sikhyasahayaks in due course considering their experience, he said.

On the demands of the Sikhya sahayaks to appoint all Junior teachers and Shikshasahayaks as regular teachers against vacancies, the Minister said after completion of satisfactory and continuous service for three years, it was decided to appoint all eligible teachers as regular teachers under Zilla Parishads. So far 31,321 Sikhyasahayaks have already been appointed as regular teachers, he said, stating that there was no justification for going for agitation.

He said according to the norm envisaged in the Right to Education Act, Odisha needed another 51,405 additional teachers in the primary level and steps were being taken to fill up the posts. However, on the demands from teachers and lawmakers, the State Government has proposed to appoint one teacher against each class with one reserve teacher up to Class V  and given a proposal to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to approve it to provide funding.