Even though ruling BJD MlAs Sanjay Dasburma and Pranab Prakash Das met the agitating Block Grant (BG) teachers at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here on Friday and tried to persuade them to withdraw their strike, the latter said they would continue their stir till their demands are fulfilled.
After the meeting Dasburma said to reporters, “Presently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is on a visit to Delhi and will return on August 20. He is aware about the problems of the teachers and has requested them for a discussion. Any legitimate demand will be considered by the Government.”
However, president of 488-Category College lecturers’ Association Pabitra Mahala said, “I am clearly saying that till the Government takes a decision on our demands and publish a notification on it, the agitation will continue.
We agree with the proposals but will withdraw our agitation after a notification is published.”
Echoing his views, School Teachers’ Federation of Odisha (STFO) convenor Prakash Chandra Mohanty said, “The agitation will not be called off under any circumstances. The Chief Minister will come; discussions will be held; and demands will be fulfilled; and after that, our steering committee will decide about a further course of action.”
The teachers have been holding agitation here since Wednesday over their demands that include abolition of the Block Grant system, equal salary for equal work and salary as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, provision of full grant-in-aid and Government takeover of all aided schools.