Bhubaneswar, Dec. 22: The school and mass education department today came out with a notification specifying modalities for the regularisation of gana sikshaks (para teachers) following years of protests by the teachers.

The notification states gana sikshaks who have cleared the certificate course in teachers' training (CT) and BEd and worked successfully for eight years will be regularised. It is expected to benefit 16,868 gana sikshaks.

The gana sikshaks, under the banner of Odisha Gana Sikshak Mahasangh, had been demanding regularisation for the last few years.

On December 13, they had gheraoed the official residences of six ministers, who were members of the ministerial committee appointed to frame the guidelines.

This was followed by a ministerial-level meeting chaired by finance minister Pradip Amat on December 14.

The mahasangh has also welcomed the move. "We are happy. Of the 22,000 odd gana sikshaks, almost 17,000 will be regularised, while the others will have to clear the CT and BEd. There are a few problems that need to be resolved and we will discuss those with the government later," said mahasangh president Sarat Nayak.