Odisha To Initiate Criminal Proceedings Against Protesting Block Grant Teachers

Bhubaneswar: Criminal proceedings will be initiated against the agitating block grant teachers, if they fail to join Plus II answer sheet evaluation duty from Sunday, Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) chairman Amarendra Patnaik informed in a press conference here on Saturday.

The publication of Plus II results is likely to be delayed, as almost 50 per cent teachers have boycotted the evaluation process, Patnaik said.

On the other hand, teachers’ leader Pabitra Mahala said, “The government has been playing with the future of students. The move for lodging FIRs against the agitating teachers is an attempt to harass the students. This is not going to have impact on the agitating teachers.”

The block grant teachers under the aegis of All Odisha School Teachers and Employees’ United Forum, are on an indefinite strike since April 4. They have been staging demonstrations and picketing in front of 56 centres across the state seeking fulfilment of their six-point charter of demands including withdrawal of the clause mandating submission of affidavit to avail grant-in-aid.