Thousands of teachers teaching in these schools will be transferred to nearby schools (Representational)

Close to 1000 schools having less than 10 students on the roll will be shut down in Odisha to tackle the teachers'' shortage issue, the government said on Sunday.

"Odisha government has decided to close 966 public schools that have below 10 students," Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Das told ANI here.

The minister said that even some of these schools were running with just two to three students.

The closure of these schools will help the government to tackle the teacher shortage problem in the state. "It is not possible for the government to provide teachers and infrastructure to the students given there is an acute shortage of teachers," he said.

Thousands of teachers teaching in these schools will be transferred to nearby schools. The students studying in these schools will also be shifted to nearby schools.

Mr Das said, "To encourage these students, the government has decided to pay Rs 3000, Rs 4000 and Rs 6000 as conveyance allowance as per their attendance."