BHUBANESWAR: AS the agitation of block grant teachers entered the eighth day on Wednesday, BJP urged the State Government to meet their demand for the greater interest of the students.A delegation of the BJP led by former minister Samir Dey met the agitating teachers and extended party’s support to their demand for full grants to the schools and colleges which are still getting block grants from the Government.
Dey, who served as Higher Education Minister from 2004 to 2009, said the block grant system was introduced nearly a decade and half ago due to financial constraint. Since the Government is claiming to be a revenue surplus State, there is no problem to cover the teachers under grant-in-aid mode.
After resolution of disputes between the State Government and the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) over tax incentives to the Paradip refinery, the State will get about Rs. 3,000 crore from the national PSU in the current financial year. The Government should utilise the money to meet the demand of the block grant teachers, said State BJP vice president Samir Mohanty.
TEACHING SUSPENDED
With the State Government yet to take any steps to look into demands of the block grant teachers, the latter stopped teaching in schools and colleges across the State from Wednesday. While a majority of the teachers are on an indefinite strike in the State Capital, those manning educational institutions decided to cease work in protest. The teachers said they will not call off their agitation until the State Government agrees to all their demands.