Bhubaneswar, Feb 22: The district education authorities in Balangir district, Odisha, have released a month’s salary for 72 ex-cadre teachers of Puintala block after a prolonged delay. The move comes a day after Prabhudatta Sahoo, an assistant teacher at Government Primary School in Bandhanbahal village, resorted to an unusual protest.
Frustrated over the non-payment of his salary, Sahoo applied for a one-day leave to work as a daily wage laborer, earning just ₹300 for farm work despite his regular salary being ₹45,000 per month. The delayed payments had caused financial distress, making it difficult for him to manage household expenses and EMI payments.
These teachers were originally recruited under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) in 2001 and were later reclassified as ex-cadre teachers in 2017. Balangir district alone has 809 such teachers, many of whom have been facing similar financial hardships due to the delay in salary disbursement. The issue was initially attributed to technical glitches in the digiGOV website and a strike by accounts staff, further worsening the crisis.
In response to the situation, IAS officer Ananya Das, State Project Director, has intervened by writing to Canara Bank, Bapuji Nagar branch, Bhubaneswar, requesting the immediate release of ₹398.32 crore towards teachers’ salaries for the financial year 2024-25.
Odisha govt releases funds after teacher’s unique protest
