BHUBANESWAR: As discussion to end the impasse over teachers’ strike remained inconclusive, the State Government on Thursday appealed the teachers and employees to resume their duties immediately in the larger interest of the students and the State.
Sources said the discussion between the Ministerial Committee and the teachers failed to yield any result. Following the inconclusive talks, the teachers’ association announced its decision to continue the strike. Teachers are on a strike since August 16 seeking fulfilment of their demands, including salary as per 7th Pay Commission, job regularisation and implementation of service conditions.
The State Government said in a release that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced to abolish the block grant system on September 1, 2017 considering the long-standing demand of the erstwhile block grant institutions. The order was given effect from January 1, 2018. Similarly, the Grant-in-aid (Amendment) order, 2018 for employees who were getting partial GIA (40 pc, 60 pc and 75 pc) under GIA order, 2013 has also been implemented from January 1, 2018.
As per the GIA order, 2017, a trained graduate teacher will get approximately `35,000 against the earlier payment of `17,000. Similarly, a lecturer of 488 category college will approximately get `38,000 per month and 662 category college will get `35,000 per month.
The release said the financial implications for implementing the GIA order, 2017 and GIA (Amendment) order, 2018 for colleges and schools are `210.78 crore and `509 crore respectively. Official sources said 16,330 employees of 1,715 colleges and 33,948 employees of 3,701 schools are being covered by the government. The calculation of financial implications has been made by the government as per the Odisha Revised Scale of Pay Rules, 2008 with 136 per cent DA on pay and grade pay. Besides, the additional financial implications on revision of DA to 142 percent is `738.08 crore per annum.
The Government has appealed teachers to avail the benefits of GIA order, 2017 and GIA order, 2018. Besides, it has also announced that any fresh demands will be examined by the inter-ministerial committee.