488 college category teachers demand grant in aid facilities

BHUBANESWAR: Members of All Odisha Aided College (488 category) Teachers and Employees Association on Sunday urged the state government to provide facilities under grant-in-aid (GIA) system. They want facilities including pension, name in cadre list, promotion and seventh pay commission salary.
On September 1, 2017, the state government abolished the block grant system and replaced it with the GIA system.Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced that in view of 17-day-long agitation organised by the block grant teachers demanding GIA.
Association convener Aditya Prasad Rath told media that the state government had implemented a GIA system for the 488-college category teachers, but it did not provide facilities received by other regular teachers getting GIA salary. “There is no problem in granting pension under Retirement Benefit Rules, 1981 to our teachers. Why is the state government not implementing seventh pay commission salary for us,” he added.
He said the higher education department should consider their demands for the betterment of teachers. “The department should also avail the promotion facilities to the 488-college category teachers. Our names should come to the cadre list,” he added.
Association working president Manas Purohit said they also want transfer facilities like regular teachers. “We serve a single college till retirement. Biasness between old and new GIA teachers is not a good thing,” he added.
He said the government did not take any proactive steps to solve these issues during the last three years. “We request the government to look into the matter immediately. If the state government does not take any appropriate steps as soon as possible, we will go for strike from November 14. We will hit the streets every Sunday to urge the government to fulfil our demands,” he added.
Higher education department officials did not comment on this issue.