Gadchiroli Sept. 16 (District Correspondent) The contract teachers working under PESA village schools in Etapalli taluka have started indefinite no work agitation since yesterday to press the demand of immediate payment of their honorarium and other demands.
The teachers assembled in front of Panchayat Samiti office of Etapalli and started dharna to attract the attention of the authorities towards their demands. They shouted slogans in support of their demands and then submitted a memorandum to the Block Education Officer Rushikesh Kurudkar that was addressed to the CEO of Zilla Parishad. He assured the teachers to convey their demands to the higher authorities.
The main demands of the teachers included immediate payment of the honorarium pending for since June 2025, honorarium of March and April of 2024-25 session, payment of arrears of Rs. 5,000 per month of the last year before Diwali, insurance protection to the contract teachers, payment of honorarium regularly every month etc.
The teachers have been facing severe financial hardships as their honorarium has not been paid since June in the current academic session. Despite several requests no any attention was paid by the authorities, hence the teachers were compelled to launch the no work agitation, said Mr. Lokesh Barsagade, Organizer of the Teachers Association.
Because of this agitation, as many as 10 schools remained totally closed and 12 schools were attended by just one teacher that affected the education of the students. From tomorrow, the teachers from the other panchayat samitis in the district will also launch the no work agitation and it will not be withdrawn till the demands are fulfilled, warned the agitating teachers.
Rajesh Kotangle, Ranjeet Undirwade, Nilesh Junghare, Anjali roy, Bharti Munjamkar, Shubhangi Parsa and all the 73 contract teachers from the Panchayat Samiti participated in this agitation.
