Bhubaneswar: A meeting of inter-ministerial committee handling block grant teachers failed to arrive at a conclusion and the government heaved a sigh of relief as lecturers of 662 block grant colleges agreed to participate in the conduct of examinations till February 25 on the request of higher education minister.
“Higher education minister Pradeep Panigrahi requested us to give them some time before the committee takes a policy decision in the absence of Chief Secretary, finance secretary and development commissioner. We accepted that demand and our members will attend the examination duty sporting black ribbons till February 25. However, we will not call off the strike till the government takes a decision to abolish the block grant system,” said Golak Nayak, president, Plus II and Plus III non-government lectures and employees’ association (NGLEA).
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of finance minister Pradip Kumar Amat and lasted for nearly three hours. Among others, law minister Arun Sahoo, skill development and technical education minister Sanjay Das Burma and energy minister Pranab Prakash Das attended the meeting.
“Our members will take part in Tuesday’s examination duty. We will not create any issue for the Plus III examinations. However, if the committee fails to take a favourable decision February 25 we will be forced to boycott the examination duty,” said Bijay Kumar, a lecturer from Dhenkanal.
Although the state government has expressed relief over the lecturers’ decision as the Plus III examinations beginning Tuesday will go on without interruption till February 25, the other protesting group of 448 Category aided college block grant lectures and employees association of non-government block grant teachers association (ACBGLEA) decided to boycott Plus II examinations of March 2.
“Our association will continue with the decision to boycott the Plus II examination of March 2 and we will not call off the strike till the government takes a decision to abolish block grant system,” said Atal Bihari Bal, general secretary, ACBGLEA.
About 15,000 teachers and employees of 488 and 662 category colleges have been staging demonstrations demanding abolition of Block Grant system and implementation of full Grant-In-Aid (GIA). PNN