622 category lecturers' meeting with ministerial panel fails

Bhubaneswar: State government’s attempt to find common ground with the agitating lecturers of 622 Category Colleges failed today after a ministerial-level meeting held at the secretariat on Monday yielded no results. According to sources in the lecturers’ association, the government has sought time till February 25 to find a solution.

“It was a step forward, but the meeting today was unsuccessful. The government discussed various matters, but there was no decision on any of the issues. There were a lot of discussion and argument on the abolition of Block Grant. However, in the absence of the Chief Secretary, Finance Secretary and Development Commissioner no decisions could be taken in the meeting. The state government has sought time till February 25, and we will continue our stir till then. We still stand by our decision to boycott Plus-II exams and will soon take a decision on our approach towards Plus-III exams,” said the chairman of the lecturers’ association.

Notably, a five-member ministerial committee, headed by Finance minister Pradip Amat, was formed on the orders of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Law minister Arun Sahoo, Technical Education minister Sanjay Das Burma, Higher Education minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi and Energy minister Pranab Prakash Das are the other members of the committee.

Meanwhile, the ministerial committee’s meeting with the Block grant lecturers of Category 488 Colleges is underway. The block grant teachers are also up in arms demanding abolition of block grant mechanism and full grant based on eligibility.