Bhubaneswar: The state government on Monday said it was ready with a contingency plan if teachers boycotted the evaluation of matriculation answer sheets.

Members of the Odisha School College Teachers' and Employees' United Forum have been staging demonstrations in front of the evaluation centres since Monday morning, saying that they will not take part in the evaluation process till their demands are fulfilled. The evaluation of matric papers will begin in 57 centres across the state from Tuesday.

School and mass education minister Badri Narayan Patra said: "Other teachers will be involved in the process. Things will not stop although we have requested the agitating teachers to co-operate keeping in mind the future of the students."

The district education officers have been contacted to involved other teachers in the process apart from doubling the present evaluators' duty.

The forum members have decided to continue with the dharna in front of the evaluation centres from Tuesday. It is protesting against the government decision that forces teachers to submit an affidavit.

In February, they had staged protest for fulfilment of their seven demands, including withdrawal of the clause mandating submission of affidavit to get the grant-in-aid. They called off strike following talks with the government that had assured them of bringing out a notification by March 9. With the government not issuing the promised notification, they resumed their agitation a week ago.

Forum convener Golak Nayak said: "They failed to keep their assurance. Therefore, we have decided to not take part in the evaluation process."

The chief minister's office on Monday clarified that the teachers would not have to submit any affidavit but only to notify the department regarding their respective court cases in writing. "The affidavit issue has been solved," said Patra. Sources said the state government had employed 13,280 teachers, including 6,000 block grant teachers, to evaluate the matric papers.