Agartala, Oct 30 (IANS): A large number of sacked government school teachers on Tuesday began an agitation here demanding continuation of their service.

"The teachers will observe a 'lay-up' on duty on Thursday," protest leader Bimal Saha told the media after submitting a memorandum to the Education Director detailing their demands.

This would mean that the teachers would go to schools but not teach.

On March 29, 2017, the Supreme Court upheld a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate the services of 10,323 government teachers on grounds of "indiscretion" in selecting them during the former Left Front rule in secondary and higher secondary schools.

After the appeal, the apex court extended their services up to June this year.

"The BJP government in June submitted a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court to extend the services for two more years," Education and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath told the media.

If their services are not extended, lakhs of students will be deprived of getting proper education in 4,928 government schools," he added

Meanwhile, an official of the state's Law Department said that Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi would preside over a three-judge bench on Thursday to hear the teachers' case.

The Education Minister said the government had 12,222 vacant posts which could not be filled up as there were huge shortages of qualified candidates with professional degrees.

He said the state has only six B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) colleges to provide professional degrees and diploma to would-be teachers.

Currently, 40,658 teachers prove education to 7.29 lakh students in 4,928 government schools.