It reminds one of the famous quote of former American President Abraham Lincoln, ‘You cannot fool all the people all the time,’ as one sees the long agitation of the Block Grant (BG) teachers in Odisha against the hypocrisy of the State Government.
As the disgruntled teachers have again warned the Government of taking to streets after being befooled by the Government, wary of saving its skin, the Government has now grown vindictive. In a recent circular by the Higher Education Department, it has been told that if any teacher remains on leave for participating in any agitation, it will be viewed seriously leading to curtailment of salary, pre-mature retirement and even withholding of the financial grant to the institution. However, the move has raised eyebrows as it not just exposes the autocratic attitude of the Government meant to suppress agitation by the teachers by hook or by crook, but a breach of the their fundamental rights protesting an injustice.
As per reports, when the Government framed the 2017 Grant-In-Aid (GIA) order, it was clarified that the teachers and employees under Block Grant system would be entitled to all benefits, including DA, yearly increment and salary hike as per 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Though the new GIA policy was based on the declaration of CM Naveen Patnaik to abolish Block Grant system in order to regularise the beneficiaries but the GIA 2017 order was framed in such a manner that there was no scope for regularisation of service.
Again, before the last general elections, these employees under the banner of the Odisha School, College Teachers and Employees United Forum held a dharna before the State Assembly for fulfilment of their genuine demands like service conditions, equal pay for equal work, abolition of all anomalies in GIA order 2017 , extension of GIA to newly opened schools and colleges, pension benefits to employees and enhancement of pay as per the 7th Pay Commission rules etc.
To satisfy them, the BJD leaders had assured them of fulfilling the demands if their party came to power. Accordingly, these employees declared their support and felicitated CM Patnaik. But after the win of the BJD and Patnaik forming the Government for the fifth consecutive time, the ruling party reneged from its commitments.
While this has led to large scale resentment among the teachers and employees and they are preparing for a next bout of agitation, in order to cut them to size, the Higher Education Minister has implemented 5T principles under which 7-hour duty and biometric attendance were made mandatory. And, as per its latest move to foil agitation of the teachers, the circular issued on February 18 has banned any leave for participating in agitation against the Government.
To create division among the teachers community, the Government is going to make different pay structures for 488 category and 662 category of college teachers and employees. Commissioner cum Secretary of Higher Education Saswat Mishra has warned not to sanction any leave to any employee saying ‘leave is not a matter of right.’
On the other hand, convenor of 662 category colleges Golak Nayak said that in a democratic country, peaceful demonstration is a fundamental right of an individual. “But the Higher Education Department in Odisha is making a mockery of it by mounting pressure on the Principals not to let off their employees for agitation,” said Nayak, adding that he would move the court of law soon for breach of the fundamental rights of the teachers community.
