Gadchiroli Sept. 19 (District Correspondent) The contract teachers working in Zilla Parishad schools under PESA in the district have started indefinite no work agitation from today to press the demand of immediate payment of their long pending honorarium.
A large number of teachers, male and female, from across the district assembled in front of the Zilla Parishad office of Etapalli and started dharna to attract the attention of the authorities towards their demands. They shouted slogans in support of their demands. More than 300 teachers participated in the dharna agitation.
The main demands of the teachers included immediate payment of the honorarium pending since June 2025, honorarium of March and April of 2024-25 session, payment of arrears of Rs. 5,000 per month of the last session before, insurance protection to the contract teachers, payment of honorarium regularly every month etc.
We have been facing severe financial hardships as our honorarium has not been paid since June in the current academic session. Despite several requests and memorandums no any attention was paid by the authorities, hence we were compelled to launch the no work agitation, said Mr. Lokesh Barsagade, Organizer of the Teachers Association, while talking to the reporters.
Because of this agitation, many schools in the district remained totally closed and the students had to suffer. The agitation will not be withdrawn till the demands are not fulfilled, warned the agitating teachers.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the teachers met the Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Co- Guardian Minister Adv. Ashish Jaiswal at the collectorate here later in the afternoon as they were on the district tour and submitted them memorandums regarding the demands. They assured the teachers to look into the matter, told the teachers. However, no any minister paid a visit to the agitation site.
The Armori MLA Ramdas Masram visited the agitation and discussed the issue with the agitating teachers assuring them to take up the matter with the concerned minister and the authorities. The workers of the Republican party led by its central vice president Rohidas Raut also visited the dharna site and extended their support to the agitation.
It is very sad that the state government is neglecting the serious issue of the teachers who have been rendering their services in remote areas, said Mr. Raut while speaking on the occasion. He demanded early payment of the honorarium of the teachers. Mr. Kulpati Prin. Prakash Dudhe and Hansraj Undirwade, Keshavrao Samrutwar, Pradeep Bhaisare, Narendra Raipure and other workers were also present during the visit.
