Demanding GIA, 488 college teachers to go on strike from Aug 21

BHUBANESWAR: Demanding Grant-in-Aid, members of the 488 Category Aided College Block-Grant Lecturers and Employees Coordination Committee would go on strike from August 21. The 488 category college teachers and employees who have been brought to the fold of block-grant under GIA order 2009 have expressed deep dissatisfaction over the silence of the Government to the GIA demands.

Committee president Radhashyam Pallai expressing his discontentment over the faulty block-grant system opined that there has been large scale discrimination in the matters of payment of salary towards lecturers and employees of 488 category colleges. The block-grant lecturers deserve to get gross Rs 42,000 per month as State scale salary against the meager State Government block grant pay, he added.

Whenever the Association resorts to strike demanding GIA, the Government uses not only police force to suppress the movement but also mercilessly charge lathi which leaves many injured, said Committee’s general secretary Dr Atal Bihari Bal and added that the Government has gone to the extent of sending 40 lecturers and employees to Jharpada jail for seven days.

The coordination committee decided to go for a strong movement during the monsoon session of the Assembly from August 21 and will stage dharna and demonstration before the Assembly till the fulfillment of the demands.