At least 50 people including women were injured as private college teachers and security personnel fought pitched battles in front of the Odisha assembly here today.
The Mahatma Gandhi Marg here virtually turned into a battlefield after the police used water canon, tear gas shells and finally batons to disperse the protesting teachers who were marching towards the assembly building.
The teachers and employees of 1150 private colleges had been agitating for 80 days demanding repeal of block-grant system of payment and implementation of grant-in-aid mode of salary for a long time.
"The police used water canon, tear gas shells to disperse the agitating teachers who broke barricades. We have chased them away to maintain law and order situation in the area," Deputy Commissioner of Police Nitinjit Singh said.
Singh claimed that some security personnel were also injured in the incident as the teachers pelted stones on them.
Police have taken about 200 people in custody and allegedly demolished the temporary camp of the agitating teachers at one end of Mahatma Gandhi Marg here.
"The police beat me up without any provocation. I had come here seeking justice and not to get beaten up by Naveen Patnaik's police," said Geeta Mohapatra, a woman teacher of Jagtsinghpur district.
Teachers were being paid Rs 5,000 odd per month which is less than the salary of a peon, the teachers said.
"Though the government had assured to fulfil our demand, it was not met. We resorted to civil disobedience movement today," said Anta Charan Acharya, a functionary of the agitating teachers association.
