Bhubaneswar: BJD legislators Sanjay Das Burma and Pranab Prakash Das met the block grant teachers and lecturers on the third day of their agitation at Mahatma Gandhi Marg here demanding fulfillment of their various demands, including abolition of the block grant system.
After the meeting Dasburma told to media persons, "Presently, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is on a tour to New Delhi, he will return on August 20. He is aware about the problems and has requested the teachers for a discussion and any democratic demand will be considered by the government."
Meanwhile, the teachers and lecturers staging dharna under banner of Odisha School College Teachers and Employees Joint Forum have threatened that the agitation will be intensified if their demands are not met at the earliest.
"I am clearly saying that till the government takes a decision on our demands and publish a notification on it the agitation will continue. We agree with the proposals but will withdraw our agitation after the notification is published," said president of 488-category College Lecturers Association Pabitra Mahala.
"The agitation will not be stopped under any circumstances. Chief Minister will come, discussions will be held and demands will be fulfilled and after that steering committee will decide about further course of action in a meeting," said Convenor of School Teachers Federation of Odisha (STFO) Prakash Chandra Mohanty.
Higher Education Minister Ananta Das had earlier said that the government is pondering over the demands of the teachers.
"The decision could have been taken after a discussion with the government. Public will decide how viable is the sudden step of the teachers to stage dharna in the Capital city by closing the schools and colleges," added Das.
The block grant teachers and lecturers are agitating since Wednesday over their demands that include abolition of the block grant system, equal salary for equal work, salary as per 7th pay commission recommendations, provision of full aid, government takeover of all aided schools amongst others.