Hunger strike over GIA: 2 college teachers hospitalised

Tuesday November 20 2007 10:50 IST Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: With the hunger strike of the 630 un-aided college teachers and employees entering the third day over the demand of extension of grant-in-aid (GIA) to them, the condition of two deteriorated on Monday.

Darasingh Digal of Anchalika Mahavidyalaya in Kandhamal district and Sanjay Kumar Pradhan of Jagannath Mahavidyalaya in Balasore were admitted to the hospital.
The staff lamented that even though the State Government had duly sanctioned recognition, permission and affiliation to these 630 un-aided colleges since 1990, it has not extended any grant to these institutions.

As a result, the teachers and staff of these colleges had been maintaining their livelihood in extremely miserable conditions for the last over 17 years with only around Rs 300 to Rs 500 salary a month.

The subcommittee on education had recently recommended for according 370 un-aided colleges but the rest would be left out permanently, they stated.

Meanwhile, expressing disappointment over the move to regularise their services through block grant, teachers of 255 degree aided colleges who were appointed in 1992 have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike here from Tuesday.

After sustained agitation, the Cabinet Sub- Committee empowered to deal with issues of Higher Education recently recommended for regularisation of the teachers’ services through block grant.

The recommendation has been rejected by the teachers as under block grant the normal service conditions applicable to them under Validation Act, 1998, would be restricted, president of the GIA Deprived Teachers Association Pradipta Sahu complained.

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