Members cutting across party lines on Wednesday expressed concern over the plight of gana sikhyaks and block grant teachers and urged the State Government to consider their demand of grant-in-aid without delay.
Raising the issue during zero hour, senior BJD leader Ranendra Pratap Swain said the Government announced on the floor of the Assembly that gana sikhyaks will be made regular teachers after completing six years. Besides, the Minister of School and Mass Education told the Assembly during the winter session that a decision will be taken within two months.
The State Cabinet recently decided to abolish the block grant system and all the private upper primary schools, High Schools, Sanskrit tols and madrasas will be provided grant-in-aid. Swain requested Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat to direct the Government to make a statement in the House on the issue.
Criticising the Government for not keeping its promise, Pratap Sarangi (Ind) sought a ruling from the Speaker.
The Government promised in the House to do away with block grant and provide grant-in-aid to the block grant schools. The gana sikhyaks and block grant teachers have again resorted to agitation as they do not have faith in the Government, he said.
Alleging that the Government is playing with the future of the teachers and the students as well, Sarangi made a strong plea for uniformity in the pay structure. Same pay be paid for same work. Now teachers are appointed under different pay structures which has created disparity among the teachers, he said.
Assailing the Government for its dithering attitude, Naba Kishore Das, Ram Chandra Kadam and Gregory Minz of the Congress demanded immediate implementation of the grant-in-aid system to all the private schools and regularisation of the teachers who have completed six years of service.
Demanding reappointment of remedial teachers, part-time teachers and additional teachers, Gobardhan Dash of the Congress said the Government had appointed those kinds of teachers in the KBK districts during 2004. These teachers served till 2010-11 and their services were terminated.
Ruling party members including Padmanabha Behera, Ananta Das and Jeeban Pradip Dash requested the Speaker to give a direction to the Government for a policy decision on the regularisation of gana sikhyaks and block grant teachers.