Agitating Block Grant Teachers Observe Teachers’ Day As ‘Black Day’

Bhubaneswar: Block grant teachers, who are on an indefinite strike at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here since August 16, observed Teachers’ Day as ‘Black Day’ to put pressure on the Odisha government to fulfill their demands.

“Members of different student organisations have extended support to us and have joined our strike. It will continue till the state government fulfills our demands, including abolition of block grant system, full grant-in-aid and service conditions,” said member of All Odisha School-College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum Ramakanta Mohapatra.

However, teachers and students of different schools and colleges celebrated Teachers’ Day across the state with much enthusiasm even as the block grant teachers refrained from the same.

On August 21, the ministerial-level meeting between the state government and the agitators over their demands had remained inconclusive. At the meeting, finance minister Sashibhushan Behera had assured them that their demands will be considered after another meeting that will be convened soon. He had also requested the block grant teachers to withdraw their strike and join duties.

Pressing for their demands, the teachers had boycotted both Matric and Plus II evaluation process in April this year by staging protests before different evaluation centres.