Govt bows under prolonged stir by teachers for GIA

The intransigence of the agitating Block Grant school teachers to stick to their demand for Grant-in-Aid (GIA) and continue strike till the demand is met has finally pushed the Government to take steps for resolving the issue. On Saturday, a high-level meeting was convened to resolve the Block Grant teachers’ agitation.The meeting held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Pradeep Amat discussed the demands of the agitating teachers, but failed to work out a solution. The meeting was adjourned post noon and was to reconvene this evening again, official other sources said.

School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati, Development Commissioner Upendra Nath Behera and Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Department were present in the meeting.Earlier, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra, along with several leaders went to the site of agitation at the lower PMG and held discussions with the teachers.

The Government also showed a conciliatory gesture to the 662 college teachers’ association which had taken out a huge rally and held a dharana before the Assembly on August 20 last. About 15,000 employees in these colleges are getting Block Grant and are demanding its abolition and implementation of the GIA Policy 1969 with all service conditions. A delegation of the association on Friday met the Higher Education Minister Pradip Panigrahi and other high-profile officials of the Higher Education Department where the Minister assured the teachers’ representatives of taking steps to implement GIA within three months. As a result, the college teachers called off their stir on Friday evening.    

However, about 40,000 school teachers were continuing their strike since August 10 by locking up their schools as the Government was yet to come with a solution for their problems. The root of the problem of the Block Grant lies with its miniscule pay and no service conditions. What the teachers under Block Grant have been protesting is though they are now nearing their age of retirement and have worked the whole life without due remuneration, the Government should not further delay in depriving them of a regular job.