BHUBANESWAR: Education in 4,000 high schools and 1,500 colleges across the State has been hit following the agitation by block grant teachers in Bhubaneswar. While many of the block grant schools and colleges were locked on the day, more employees and teachers joined the agitators in the Capital City.
On Wednesday, at least 30,000 teachers from across the State under the aegis of Odisha School College United Teachers and Employees’ Association began an indefinite agitation demanding abolition of the block grant system.
The agitating teachers are also demanding implementation of the grant-in-aid (GIA) system irrespective of their categories and job benefits. Although they have been agitating for several years now over the demands, the State Government has not paid heed except hiking their basic pay structure by 25 per cent last year and assuring them to implement three per cent hike every year.
Apparently, none of the school and college teachers will receive any Government benefits after retiring
under the current block grant system unlike the new recruitees appointed through the State Service Selection Board (SSB) despite working for more than 25 years.
BJD legislators Sanjay Dasburma and Pranab Prakash Das met the agitators at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here on Friday and urged them to call off the agitation. “The Chief Minister is on a tour to New Delhi and will return on August 20 after which, he will hold a discussion with the teachers over their demands,” said Dasburma.
The teachers, however, refused to budge. They demanded a written assurance from the State Government in this regard and threatened to intensify the agitation if their demands are not met.
Pabitra Mahala, president of 488-category College Lecturers’ Association, said despite repeated assurances of making provision for full grant-in-aid for them, the State Government has not taken any concrete measures in this regard so far. “Odisha is the only State in the country where teachers are being paid under block grant system,” he said.
On Wednesday, Higher Education Minister Ananta Das had stated that the State Government is working on the demands of the teachers.
The Odisha School College United Teachers and Employees Association is an amalgamation of Block Grant Lecturers and Employees Association of 488 Category Aided Colleges, All Odisha 662 (+2 and +3) Non-government Lecturers’ and Employees’ Association and Odisha School Teachers Association.Around 80 per cent of schools in the State get block grant aid besides nearly 15,000 teachers and employees in 662 and 488 aided colleges respectively.