Bhubaneswar, Aug. 21: Several graduates of two city-based institutes, which impart education in fine arts and performing arts, today staged a demonstration outside the state Assembly demanding creation of permanent posts of art teacher and physical education trainer in government schools and colleges.

The youths are graduates of Utkal University of Culture and Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and they all are members of the Odisha Sikhita Kalakar Manch (Odisha Educated Artists’ Forum).

They alleged that the state government had appointed them as part-time teachers for Rs 2,400 per month.

“According to the guidelines of the school and mass education department, a teacher should get a minimum salary of Rs 5,000. But the Centre is paying Rs 2,500 for each of us while the state is deducting Rs 1,000 per head, stating that we are entitled to Rs 100 for 24 classes a month,” said a member Anil Kumar Mohapatra.

He said art teacher posts had been abolished in schools since 1991.

“However, the finance department in 1998 had published the revised scale of pay for those non-existent posts. The government could at least post us as contractual employees so that we can be regularised after six years of service and be eligible for some job benefits,” Anil said.

President of the forum Niladri Kalyan Das said the government had promised to create permanent art teacher posts in the nodal schools in each of the 314 blocks, model schools in all the 30 districts as well as Ekalavya residential and Kasturba Ashram Girls’ Schools.

“However, it us yet to be fulfilled,” he said, besides demanding a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 for the students of various art and culture institutes in the state.

Several teacher groups also got down to the streets today to raise their demands.

Teachers and employees of 488 category block grant colleges demanded for restructuring of their pay scale.

They said they were getting a lump sum amount of Rs 11, 139 while some lecturers were drawing UGC scale of pay (Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.10 lakh) and others getting state scale (gross Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000).

The Odisha Sikshya Sahayak Association pressed for job regularisation, changing the designation of sikshya sahayaks (para teachers) to junior teachers, basic salary of Rs 5,200 and a grade pay of Rs 2,200 along with increment provisions.