Block Grant teachers join school after 2-week cease-work

BHUBANESWAR: Following the State Government’s announcement to reintroduce grant-in-aid system of payment instead of block grant, the agitating block grant teachers withdrew strike and joined school on Saturday after two-week cease-work.

After the Government declaration, the executive body members of the Block Grant Teachers Association welcomed the decision and called a meeting to discuss about the new policy. Association president Prashant Mohapatra cautioned the Government to implement the Grant-In-Aid (GIA) policy within two months, otherwise they would again hit the street with thousands of teachers and their supporters.

Now 1982 schools come under the block grant mode of payment where 13,380 employees are working. School and Mass Education Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda said the department would place the new GIA policy in the Cabinet by February, 2013. Priority will be given to schools receiving block grant since past eight years, he added.

The teachers promised to take extra classes to fill up their left out subjects due to absent in the school. They would take some extra time of Sunday or Saturday to make the students understand about different subjects of their syllabus.