BHUBANESWAR: Fifteen more teachers, who have been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding scrapping of block grant aid scheme since last week, had to be hospitalised on Saturday after their health condition deteriorated. On Friday, 21 of them were admitted to the Capital Hospital.Thousands of teachers and non-teaching staff from over 1,983 block grant schools across the State, under the aegis of Orissa Block Grant Secondary School Teachers and Employees Association, are staging a hunger strike at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here since Wednesday over various demands. Prominent among them are, abolition of block grant and reinstatement of the grant-in-aid (GIA) system, payment of salary at par with the government teachers and as per the Sixth Pay Commission and extension of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan benefits to block grant high schools. “Thirty-six of our colleagues were admitted to the Capital Hospital after their condition deteriorated. We will not give up our agitation till the State Government abolishes block grant system,” said association president Prasanna Mohapatra. Around 24,000 members of the association had ceased work from August 1 in support of their demands affecting education of over three lakh students.Mohapatra alleged that while teachers in government and semi-government schools were paid a salary of around Rs. 15,000 a month, under the block grant system they get a meagre Rs. 4,995 a month without any other service benefit. On the other hand, the School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena said that extension of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan benefits to block grant high schools is not possible as it can only be provided to government schools as per the norms. “The block grant schools are receiving grant of Rs.117 crore per annum now. If their demands are to be met, it would require an additional Rs. 508 crore per annum,” Jena said. He added that State Government had formed a high power committee to look into their demands and other staff. “Since the financial implication of their demand is very high, the committee needs time to prepare a report. Any action would be taken after submission of the report,” he said. The committee comprises the Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, Finance Secretary and Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department. The Minister further said the agitating teachers have been requested to join duty to ensure that education of lakhs of students is not hampered.
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