Block Grant Schools to shelter flood-hit

BHUBANESWAR: All the 1,983 block grant high schools were opened on Monday after the agitating teachers and employees decided to suspend their 42-day strike, considering the flood situation in the State. Orissa Block Grant Secondary Teachers’ Association leader Prasanta Mohapatra said MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra last week had asked the teachers to open the schools to shelter the flood victims. At another meeting with the School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena, the teachers were assured that their demands would be considered within seven days. Prasanta said that accordingly, it was decided to suspend the strike for seven days. If the Minister did not take any tangible steps as assured, the teachers and employees would resume their agitation, he warned. “We will not close the schools but the teachers and students of all schools will stage an indefinite strike in front of their respective schools,” said Mohapatra.The 24,000 teachers and employees had started their indefinite cease-work on August 1 and continued to paralyse the functioning of 1,983 block grant high schools in the State, affecting over three lakh students. The agitators staged a demonstration before the Assembly during the Monsoon Session demanding abolition of the block grant scheme and payment of salary on par with Government teachers or revival of 100 per cent grant-in-aid and payment of salary as per the Sixth Pay Commission award.