BHUBANESWAR: Amid the bandh call given by Naba Nirman Krushak Sanghathan (NNKS), the agitation launched by Odisha School and College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum from Wednesday has thrown new challenges to the State Government in ensuring smooth conduct of matriculation examinations beginning from February 22. 

The teachers’ forum, which had launched a month-long agitation last year, has resumed its protest demanding job regularisation. Thousands of teachers gathered at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here to protest the delay in regularisation of jobs and also demanded implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendation for them. 

“Though the State Government had assured to take steps for regularisation of jobs of teachers three months back, nothing has been done in this regard,” alleged convenor of the forum Prakash Mohanty. 
The Government had promised to fulfil at least four out of seven demands raised by the teachers by 2018-end. However, the promises are yet to be fulfilled. “We will intensify our strike if our demands are not fulfilled,” he said. 

Meanwhile, absence of teachers, as they are taking part in the agitation, is expected to cause problems in smooth conduct of the Class X tests. Earlier, the teachers had said to cooperate in the examination process.