The Block Grant (BG) school and college teachers, who have been sitting on an indefinite dharna here at PMG Square under the banner of the Odisha School College Teachers’ United Forum demanding abolition of the Block Grant system and extension of Grant-in-Aid (GIA), on Monday held a Mahasamavesh (grand rally) to press for their demands.
More than 20,000 teachers from different blocks and tehsils of the State attended the Mahasamavesh braving intermittent rains. Some other organisations also took part in the demonstration expressing solidarity with the teachers.
Though the teachers’ strike reached the thirteenth day, there were no assurances from the Government for solving the impasse, which has hit studies of students in more than 5,000 schools and colleges.
The teachers said they would now take their agitation to the block and tehsil levels till their demands are fulfilled. They said that though the Government has many times assured them to fulfil their demands, every time it has failed them. So, they would continue their strike indefinitely to press for their demands.
The teachers are also demanding implementing the Supreme Court’s judgement of equal pay for equal work.