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Bhubaneswar: The Mahatma Gandhi Marg here virtually turned into a battle field on Friday after security forces clashed with the block grant lecturers in a bid to prevent the agitating teachers from entering the prohibited zone of the Assembly area.
Police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed tear gas cells as the protesters tried to break the barricade and force enter the no-entry zone where Section 144 was clamped. Water cannons used by the police to disperse the rioters too seemed to have a little impact on the lecturers.
“We will continue our protest until the state government accepts our demand and abolishes the block grant system,” said a teacher from Kendrapara.
Meanwhile, the 488 and 662 category block grant lecturers and employees have announced to boycott Plus II examination and evaluation of papers protesting the police excesses.
Earlier in the morning, the block grant lecturers and employees who are on a strike for past 85 days started a rally at Lower PMG and marched towards the Assembly defying the prohibitory orders. They have been demanding abolition of block grant and implementation of grant-in-aid policy.
