The Block Grant teachers and staffs, who are holding protests here for the last 23 days, on Friday intensified the agitation by spreading it to all 314 blocks across the State.
Thousands of teachers are now sitting on dharnas in front of their respective block offices.
On the day, expressing solidarity with the striking teachers Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited the dharna site and met the protesting teachers.
Pradhan alleged the State Government of being insensitive towards the teachers.
“I request the State Government to discuss and solve the issue with the teachers and allocate the required funds at least for the sake of over 30 lakh students studying in various schools and colleges. Their studies are being affected due to the strike,” said Pradhan.
Odisha Government has money to strengthen its own vote bank but doesn’t want to bear Rs 800 crore burden for resolving the grievances of teachers.
The Minister said Odisha Government can spend and make a provision of Rs 1,200 crore under the ‘Ama Gaon, Ama Vikas’ programme and has Rs 400 crore to distribute among party workers through the Biju Yuva Vahini.
“It is unfortunate the way Odisha Government has turned a blind eye towards the legitimate demands of teachers,” Pradhan said, adding further that though education is totally a State subject, the 14th Finance Commission has given additional funds for the development of education in Odisha.
