Akin to last year, the teachers were seen celebrating the festival at their protest site which reverberated with the sounds of conches and recitation of prayers today.
"We couldn't make it to our schools due to the ongoing strike so we celebrated the festival here instead, for the well-being and bright future of our students'" said an agitating teacher.
The Block grant teachers and employees have been agitating for the past 29 days demanding removal of affidavit clause in the newly-announced grant-in-aid system, equal salary for equal work, provision of full aid and several other service conditions.
"The high level meeting that was held yesterday did not yield any results and the state government has sought time till Monday to decide, failing which we will intensify the agitation and take out rallies at the panchayat level," said Golak Nayak, convenor of the Odisha School College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum.
The process kicked off at 56 centres across the State and will continue till April 26. The first phase of the process had started on April 4 and went on till April 14. The Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) has set a deadline to complete the evaluation by April 28.
Meanwhile, teachers under the aegis of Odisha School and College Teachers’ and Employees’ United Forum (OSCTUF) continued to stage protests before evaluation centres pressing for their six-point charter of demands.
Many students and parents have extended their support to the teachers’ strike.
Even as the first phase evaluation of Plus-II answer sheets is underway without the presence of nearly 50 per cent teachers, Convenor of School Teachers' Association, Prakash Mohanty said 10 to 15 percent papers have been evaluated while at least 40 to 45 per cent of the papers should have been checked by now.
Sources said absence of teachers has hit the evaluation of answer sheets of Plus II examination and has raised concerns in the minds of students and their parents as to whether the results would be declared in time and that too error-free.
Due to absence of examiners, degree college lecturers and retired professors have been roped in to evaluate the answer sheets. The move has been quite tormenting for the appointed examiners as sources point out that each teacher has been asked to check 20 papers a day instead of a stipulated 15.
Considering the urgency and the pressure on limited amount of teachers, parents are concerned about the accuracy in evaluation.
Despite these concerns, there is no let up in the standoff between the agitating teachers and the government.
Shrugging off any concern due to boycott of Plus II paper evaluation by protesting teachers, the School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra today said that it will have no impact on the evaluation process and the results will be announced on time.
The minister said that the second phase of the evaluation process will begin from April 16 as per schedule. Urging teachers to withdraw, the minister said the department is open for discussions.
Meanwhile, despite repeated warnings from disciplinary action to suspension threats, the block grant teachers continue to stand firm with their protests entering its 10th day today.
"The government has made a mountain out of a molehill. Instead of resolving the issue, the government is taking decisions all by itself. In the last two months, we have held discussions with the government on two occasions and every time they promised us and then cheated. So why discuss again," Prakash Mohanty, Convenor of School Teachers' Association said.
On the other hand, Congress MLA and CHSE examination management committee member Bhujabal Majhi has levelled serious allegations of recklessness on the part of the government.
"The council is an autonomous body but it has also an examination management committee which has the responsibility to look into various aspects of examination. In last one month, the government has not called for a single meeting to resolve the standoff which is why we are in a situation like this," Majhi said.
Around 7,000 teachers have been engaged for the evaluation that will be conducted in two phases- from today to April 14 and from April 16 to 26. The e-evaluation of answer sheets will be conducted at 29 out of the 56 centres. On the first day, registration for the evaluation will be held till 1.30pm.
As per the guidelines issued by the CHSE, evaluators will not be allowed to carry mobile phones while entering the evaluation centres.
Council authorities informed that in case any evaluator remains absent at his/her allotted centre, the centre supervisor will immediately identify and engage another efficient teacher for the same.
Meanwhile, the block grant teachers have threatened to disrupt the evaluation process and stage picketing in front of all centres thus preventing other teachers from reaching the venue for evaluation work.
The teachers under the banner of Odisha School and College Teachers’ and Employees’ United Forum (OSCTUF) have been staging agitation demanding issuance of a notification regarding withdrawal of the affidavit clause prescribed in the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Policy-2017.
On the other hand, the CHSE officials have claimed that they have put in place"alternatives" and are ready to face any kind of disruption in the evaluation process.
The committee, constituted by the state government had sought time till last evening to take decision on the matter."However, no official notification has been issued yet forcing the teachers to continue their stir," said a member of the Odisha School and College Teachers’ and Employees’ United Forum (OSCTUF).
Earlier on March 31, the agitating teachers had made their stand clear at a meeting with the inter-ministerial committee chaired by the State Finance Minister.
The teachers’ body has been demanding that the government issues a notification regarding the withdrawal of the affidavit clause prescribed in the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Policy-2017.
State Higher Education Minister, Ananta Das stated that the teachers' should come to discussion table to sort out the issues.
"The teachers sitting on dharna at Lower PMG should withdraw stir immediately. They should come to the table for discussion and resolve issues," said Das.
Earlier, the School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra on had stated that Odisha School College Teachers’ and Employees United Forum's demand for withdrawal of the proposed affidavit for grant-in-aid assumed 'no significance'. However, all issues can be resolved through amicable discussion.
The Teachers' Forum is protesting compulsory submission of a proposed affidavit for grant-in-aid introduced by the State government.
The affidavit though promises to give financial benefits, also prevents teachers from staging any kind of protests in future.
Speaking to media persons, the Higher Education Minister said, " Any issue can be resolved through mutual discussion. If needed, the teachers will be called upon for a discussion. But their demand for roll back of the proposed affidavit does not seem to have much significance."
The other demands of the teachers' body include equal pay for equal work and implementation of the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission. The agitating teachers have also warned to boycott annual Matric and Plus-II examinations if their demands are not fulfilled at the earliest.
It may be mentioned here that the State Government had announced abolition of block grant system replacing it with grant-in-aid for the teachers on October 22 last year.
The decision was taken after a series of discussions between the State Government and various block grant teachers' associations.
However, the State Government later brought certain terms and condition for the grant-in-aid benefits triggering widespread resentment among the teachers as well as parents.
The teachers have been staging dharna at Gandhi Marg in Bhubaneswar since August 16 over non-fulfilment of their earlier demands.
"Despite lightning and rain, around 60,000 teachers are staging protest on the road. If the State Government thinks our demands are baseless, let them remain silent. But we will not budge until our demands are met," rued Convenor of Odisha School College Teachers and Employees’ United Forum, Golak Nayak.
Earlier in the month of March, the teachers had launched protests over various demands including removal of affidavit clause in the newly-announced grant-in-aid system, besides equal salary for equal work, provision of full aid & facilities to block grant teachers etc. However, the stir was withdrawn after discussions and assurance from the government.
The state government had abolished the block-grant system and introduced grant-in-aid (GIA) following a series of protests by the teachers last year. However, the teachers continue to protest demanding revisions in the new provisions under the GIA.
The agitating teachers have been alleging that as per the new system, while GIA will be considered from the date of its implementation, teachers who have been in the profession since last two decades will be unable to get any arrears. Besides, there are no service conditions and provision of pension for retired teachers in the new norms.
Thousands of teachers who have been staging protests since August 16 have threatened to take their protests to panchayat level from Monday.
“The government is not listening to our demands but rather threatening to arrest us and cut our salaries. But we want to make it clear that till our demands are not met, we will continue to celebrate all festivals on the streets,” Golak Nayak, convenor of Odisha School and College Teachers’ and Employees United Forum said.
Similarly, nearly 5000 NHM employees staging protest since last five days demanding fulfilment of their six-point charter of demands including regularisation of jobs by creating a non-medical public cadre, equal pay for equal work as per 7th commission’s recommendations among others; also celebrated Nuakhai at lower PMG.
Threatening to intensify their stir, the agitating employees have urged the government to immediately resolve their issues.
Prabir Kumar Meher, Block Programming Manager-NHM of Bolangir district said “We have been requesting the state government to look into our concerns but they have turned a blind eye. Last time, when the health minister assured us to look into our demands, we called off our stir and cooperated in the measles vaccination campaign. But the government cheated us and has so far not fulfilled our demands, forcing us to hit the streets again," Meher said.
Activist Sudarsan Das said the employees under the NHM are indispensable for running as many as 52 different schemes from block to state level; and so it is the prime responsibility of the government to look into their demands.
Hundreds of teachers under the aegis of Odisha School College Teachers and Employees' United Forum have been staging dharna at Gandhi Marg since last three days over non-fulfilment of their earlier demands.
“The government’s indifference has compelled us to hit the streets again just a few months after our stir during which we boycotted the answer sheet evaluation process of matric and plus II examinations. On April 18 even as the Chief Secretary had assured us to fulfil our demands within three months, the state government is yet to take any steps,” forum president Pabitra Mahala said.
“We have decided to intensify our strike and whatever be the consequences, the government will be responsible for any kind of disruptions at the beginning of the academic year,” Mahala said.
Sources informed that more teachers are expected to join the protest soon.
The state government had abolished the block-grant system and introduced grant-in-aid (GIA) following a series of protests by the teachers last year, but new provisions under the GIA has now irked the teachers.
They alleged that as per the new system, while GIA will be considered from the date of its implementation, teachers who have been in the profession since last two decades will be unable to get any arrears. Besides, there is no service condition and provision of pension for retired teachers in the new norms.
As per sources, over one lakh teachers and support staff from various schools across the State are likely to join the protests against the State government's ‘anti-teacher’ policy and dilly-dallying approach.
The teachers have threatened that the protest will continue till their demands including abolition of the block grant system, equal salary for equal work, provision of full aid & facilities to block grant teachers etc are not fulfilled.
Demanding immediate intervention of CM Naveen Patnaik, the teachers stated that all schools and colleges across the State would remain closed.
Though the government has abolished the block-grant system and introduced grant-in-aid, President of the forum Pabitra Mahala alleged that provisions under grant-in-aid has become a major cause of concern.
Following repeated protests by the teachers few months back, the state government had promised that the demands would be fulfilled by July 18, but no steps have been taken yet, the forum alleged.
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The forum has further alleged that the new system that was launched by the government is faulty as there is no service condition and provision of pension for retired teachers.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Ananta Das stated, "Their demands are changing every hour. The situation is getting more problematic with frequent change in their demands. We are discussing with them to resolve the issue. A decision in this regard will be taken immediately."
Their demand to withdraw the ‘controversial’ affidavit clause prescribed in the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Policy-2017 was also fulfilled earlier but they are coming with more demands every time, the Minister added.