The teaching and non-teaching staff members of 662 category colleges are now constantly being harassed by the State Government in letting them get their due salary and service benefits despite their uninterrupted democratic agitation before the State Assembly.
These lecturers have been disgusted with the activities of the bureaucrats who are overriding the Higher Education Minister and creating artificial hurdles in the fulfillment of the genuine demands of these employees.
The employees are now sitting on a dharna before the Assembly by closing their colleges to draw the attention of the Government to their plight and pressing for their several demands, including getting grant-in-aid (GIA) instead of the current block grant. Despite the continuous stir, the Government has not cared the least to talk to the representatives of the employees.
“Block grant is a shame for the college employees. Despite this, the State Government is adamant to continue the block grant system in schools and colleges. What is grueling is the college staff members are getting the lowest block grant of 40 per cent and that too in an irregular way. The staff members now want that the Government stop such low payment and extend GIA,” said 662 college association convenor Golok Nayak.
He added that earlier, the college employees with same demands had taken law into their hands and suffered jail terms. The Government at various points of time has only assured to extend GIA though in practice, it failed to do it, he lamented.
On the other hand, the colleges have remained closed following the strike called by their association, while parents and students have condemned the apathy of the Government to the most genuine concerns of the college employees.