When the Government most casually and insensitively dealt with the Block Grant issue and bluffed its way through a new grant-in-aid (GIA) by just a nominal pay hike, two teachers’ bodies praised the Government to the skies, rubbing salt into wounds of thousands of college and school teachers and employees who are long waiting for justified salary.
President of 662 college teachers and employees association Golak Nayak and former BJD MlA and leader of a school teachers’ body Bikram Burma admired the new GIA contravening their basic stand for the implementation of the old GIA policy which means regularization of the jobs and entitlement of all facilities applicable to a regular Government employee. Several other teachers’ bodies, however, have condemned the new GIA.
While Nayak was excited about the 25 per cent hike and showered praises on the BJD Government forgetting the fact that none of the basic demands that he had been raising for last many years had been accepted, Burma, who jumped into active politics from being a teacher leader, went a step farther and paraded a few of his trusted pals at Navin Niwas to greet the Chief Minister with bouquets. The due laid bare the very weakness of being won over for small gift. A seasoned BJD leader that he is, though, of course, he is in wilderness now,
Burma greeting the CM could be more for political rehabilitation in the 2019 general election, than for any real appreciation of new salary scheme which is no different from the Block Grant and would no way solve the problems of the teachers. It could also be stage-managed, tailored to meet the very objective of showing in public the happiness of the teachers over the new scheme and the popularity of Government.
When the 488 college teachers, who also boycotted the answer script evaluation along with the 662 college lecturers this year bending down the Government to expedite the process of giving GIA, are highly disappointed and have not minced a word, (their silence speaking volume about their sulky mood), Nayak by extolling Government for the new salary has shown his very ‘immaturity’ at understanding the malicious design of the Government. Nayak leads the largest college teachers’ body by far in the State and hence, his role is very crucial so far as a positive change in the fate higher education as well as of the teachers is concerned. But his undue pleasure over a little beneficence implies the struggle of the long suffering teachers would have to take many more years to end.
The Block Grant school teachers association which had held the longest ever strike by shutting down schools in State and has been in the forefront in the fight against Block Grant has registered strong protest against the new GIA scheme. In all probability, these teachers may step up their stir in coming days.