Teachers intensify stir demanding repealment of block-grant

Hundreds of school teachers belonging to different associations today staged a rally demanding repealment of the block-grant system of payment and attempted to gherao Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence.
The teachers were, however, detained by the police and they then sat on a dharna at Sishu Bhavan Chhak where the police detained them.
While Block Grant teachers, Odisha Secondary School Teachers' Association (OSSTA), ALSTA, Odisha Retired Teachers' Association, Madrasa Teachers' Association, Sanskrit Teachers' Association are part of the rally, School Teachers' Federation of Odisha (STFO) and Contractual Teachers' Association are supporting it.
Odisha Block Grant Teachers' Association President Prasant Mohapata alleged that force was used on the teachers when they demonstrated against injustice on February 5. Many of them were arrested too. "The agitation will continue till our demands are met."

Meanwhile, a meeting between the school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra and teachers' leaders was inconclusive.