Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 20: Subsequent to the agitation of block-grant school teachers, education department received another jolt as 4000 teachers of various non-government and aided colleges in the state assembled at the Lower PMG here seeking attention to various grievances affecting them.
The college teachers are demanding grant-in-aid as per Orissa Education Act 1969 with regular dearness allowances (DA) and post-retirement benefits to all beneficiaries as per government orders between 2008 and 2014. They have also been demanding abolition of anomalies in the government order of 2008.
The agitating teachers have reportedly locked up 662 colleges across the state to put forth their demands.
“Our demands are genuine and the our dharna will continue for an indefinite period against the apathetic attitude of the state government,” said All Orissa Non-Government Lecturers and Employees Association president Golak Nayak. The Association has pointed out that such colleges are serving nearly 60 per cent of the assignments of higher education department in the state. “The government has been providing only block grant tags to us even after serving them for more than 25 years. This is sheer partiality and step-motherly attitude towards us,” said Nayak.
The college teachers have also expressed discontentment over the government’s attitude of providing permission only to residential colleges which seem to be thriving on their commercial success. The state government is currently not keen on providing permission to open general colleges as such institutions do not generate adequate revenues to the government.
