Sunday, October 14 will be an unusual day for government school teachers on contract in several places in south-central Bihar's Bhojpur district where chief minister Nitish Kumar will be on his 'adhikar yatra' to demand special status for the state.

Not only have the teachers been directed to be present at their schools on their weekly off-day, they have also been told to participate in a painting competition and training programme on Distance Education.

"Though the ostensible reason for this directive is to tap the resources of the teachers, the actual idea is to keep them fruitfully engaged instead of leaving them free to protest at the CM's yatra," a source in the administration said.

Known as 'fixed pay' teachers, this category of teachers held boisterous protests during the initial phases of Nitish's ongoing 'adhikar yatra' launched on September 19. Some even showed him slippers at places like Darbhanga and Bettiah in north Bihar.

These teachers have been demanding regularisation of service, which would entitle them to benefits like DA and HRA.

The Nitish regime has revised their pay from time to time but refused to regularise their jobs as this would add to the state's expenses considerably.