All the Block Grant colleges and schools of the Athagarh sub-division shut down on Wednesday as their joint forum launched an indefinite stir demanding grant-in-aid and regularization of jobs.
The teaching and non-teaching staff members of these institutions took mass leave and left for Bhubaneswar to press for their demand of abolition of the Block Grant system. As per report, these employees have served for over 25 years with less or no remuneration. After repeated appeal and strike for long periods, the State Government extended Block Grant. But this grant which has been implemented for over 10 years now with lowest payment and no sevice career. The teachers and employees are just treated as contract workers.
This Block Grant system is condemnable and the Government should abolish it and regularize services of the employees, said 662 college union Cuttack district president Ashok Parija.
He informed that already the employees have applied for at least three days’ mass leave and threatened that if the Government doesn’t take any favourable action, there would be an indefinite strike.