Block grant teachers court arrest

BHUBANESWAR: As many as 2000 agitating block grant teachers on Saturday courted arrest protesting the State Government’s apathy towards them. With the Assembly session coming to an end, the teachers called off their hunger strike that they had begun on August 16 under the aegis of Orissa Block Grant Secondary School Teachers and Employees Association. They said that although the hunger strike has been called off, they would intensify the agitation over their demands.They are demanding abolition of block grant and reinstatement of the grant-in-aid (GIA) system, payment of salary at par with the government teachers and as per the Sixth Pay Commission and extension of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan benefits to block grant high schools.President of the association PK Mohapatra said September 5 will be observed as a black day by the teachers and on September 8, they would gherao 314 block offices and also block national highways and state highways in their areas.This apart, the teachers are planning for a mass agitation involving students after September 10.The association represents around 24,000 teachers and employees of 1,983 block grant high schools of the State. In support of their demands, the teachers and other staff have ceased work from August 1 affecting education of over three lakh students. The teachers’ agitation also caused lot of inconvenience to the students appearing for supplementary examination for High School Certificate.They alleged that while teachers in government and semi-government schools were paid a salary of around `15,000 a month, under the block grant system they get a meagre `4,995 a month for the same nature of job. Sources said the financial implication of their demands is ` 508 crore.The School & Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena had earlier informed that a high power committee has been formed to look into their demands and it needs time to submit its report.  The State Government would take measures as per the recommendations by the committee, he said.from the department has come forward to discuss the issue with us in the last two weeks,” he said.