The State’s 488-Category Block Grant college lecturers on Thursday threatened to boycott the evaluation of Plus Two examination answer papers after a meeting with the Government failed to yield any result.
The lecturers issued a deadline till April 3 to the Government to abolish the Block Grant system and provide full aid to their colleges.
Earlier in the day, representatives of the 488-Category Private lecturers’ Coordination Committee had met Higher Education Minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy at the State Secretariat.
“We held a two-hour-long meeting with the minister, but the Government failed to make a concrete assurance. We still want to give them time till April 3. If they fail to fulfil our demands by that time, we will boycott the answer paper evaluation starting April 4,” said president of 488-Categrory College lecturers’ Association Pabitra Mahala to reporters.
The Minister, however, urged the teachers to cooperate in the evaluation process irrespective of a Government decision.
Besides, the School Teachers’ Federation of Odisha (STFO), a body of Block Grant teachers, on Thursday launched a civil disobedience agitation demanding full grant-in-aid (GIA) and abolition of Block Grant (BG) system.
Hundreds of teachers held a meeting at the lower PMG and later marched towards the Assembly. They were blocked by security personnel. This led to a scuffle between them and the police, in which some teachers were injured.
Around 300 teachers were taken into preventive custody. The teachers’ federation accused the police of brutality, but police refuted the allegation.
“The Government should address our legitimate demands. The Government is not keeping its words. There have been several protests and schools have also been closed many times. Unfortunately, the Government is using police force to suppress our voices,” said STFO president Prakash Chandra Jena.
Notably, the teachers took to the street following the failure their discussions with the Government.