The Block Grant Teachers’ and Employees’ Association on Sunday called off their month-long strike and decided to join schools from Monday following discussion with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra.
Notably, on Friday the School and Mass Education Minister warned stringent action against the teachers if they did not resort to teaching students on Monday.
Association president Prasanta Mohapatra along with Minister Debi Prasad Mishra met the Chief Minister at Naveen Patnaik and handed him over the memorandum.
The association also withdrew its plan of conducting padayatra in Hinjili, the home turf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, scheduled on Monday following Government assurances to fulfill their demands.
About 27,000 teachers of 2,209 Block Grant high schools, belonging to different organisations, are on a strike for more than a month demanding salary on the basis of the grant-in-aid policy instead of block grant mode of payment.
While the teachers in Government schools are being paid salary as per the grant-in-aid policy, the teachers in private institutions get payment on the basis of block grant mode, they said.
The Block Grant high schools remained closed due to teachers’ agitation since August 18.