Block Grant Teachers To Observe September 5 As ‘Black Day’

Bhubaneswar: The agitating block grant teachers on Saturday announced their decision to observe September 5 as ‘Black Day’ to put pressure on Odisha government to fulfill their demands.

The protestors under the aegis of Odisha School-College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum have decided to lock up schools and colleges across the state from September to further intensify their strike.

On Tuesday, 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.

The block grant teachers are on an indefinite strike at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here since August 16 demanding abolition of block grant system, full grant-in-aid and service conditions.

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.