Agitating Block Grant Teachers To Teach In Schools Wearing Black Badges

Bhubaneswar: Two days after the meeting between the agitating block grant teachers’ and the Odisha government remained inconclusive, the protestors on Saturday announced their decision to return to their respective schools but teach the students wearing black badges.

“Though most of the teachers will withdraw their strike keeping the students’ future in mind, another group of teachers will continue to stage protests in Bhubaneswar every day to press for the demands,” informed Golak Nayak, a representative of the Joint Forum of the Odisha Block Grant College Teachers and Employees Association.

“We have also decided not to cooperate with the state government during the elections, if the government fails to fulfill our demands,” Nayak said.

On Thursday, a meeting presided over by the Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, in the presence of School and Mass Education Minister, Badri Narayan Patra and Higher Education Minister Ananta Das with the Block Grant teachers failed to yield any result.

The School and Mass Education Minister had said after the meeting that the teachers have been frequently changing their demands.

“The state government has fulfilled the demands of the teachers by abolishing the block grant system from September 1, 2017 and implemented it from January 1, 2018. The teachers have been asked to accept the order and give it in writing to the state government. But instead of accepting the order, they have come up with fresh demands, which are under consideration of the state government,” the Minister had said.