BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Women and Child Development Pramila Mallick today said in the Assembly that the State Government had decided to appoint 3,210 contract teachers in the upgraded high schools. Besides, retired teachers will also be taken in as guest teachers in these schools. Making a statement on the admissibility of an adjournment motion notice on the issue, the minister replying to the queries in the absence of Minister of State for School and Mass Education Pratap Jena said that 300 such schools have received recognition from the Centre under the national school campaign project. This will expedite filling up of vacancies in these schools. Earlier, members cutting across party lines expressed concern over the large-scale vacancies in these schools which has hampered teaching. Anup Kumar Sai, Surendra Prasad Paramanik, Basudev Majhi and Rajendra Prasad Chhatria (all Cong) criticised the Government for neglecting the schools after upgrading them. Gobardhan Das (Cong) alleged that a large number of teacher posts are vacant in Western Orissa and KBK districts.