Teachers protest against affidavit to avail grant-in-aid

Teachers of over 1,000 schools and colleges today staged a demonstration here to protest against Odisha government's provision for compulsory submission of affidavits to avail grant-in-aid facility.
Different teachers' bodies alleged that the affidavit for grant-in-aid was a violation of fundamental rights, as although it promises financial benefits, the provision also prevents them from staging any kind of protests in future.
"We will be forced to boycott the forthcoming Matric and Plus-II examinations if the state government does not take back the proposed affidavit," said Prakash Mohanty, leader of the agitating teachers.
Teachers under the banner of Odisha School College Teachers' and Employees United Forum, too, threatened to take out anti-government rallies during the by-elections in Bijepur assembly segment, scheduled to be held on February 24.

About 5,000 agitating teachers had taken out a 'padayatra' from the Sri Gundicha Temple in Puri on Tuesday to press for their demands. They reached the state capital today.
"We have been asked to sign an affidavit to get financial benefits under GIA, but it comes with a rider stating that once submitted, the affidavit will prevent teachers from staging any kind of protests in future," said one of the protesting teachers.

The forum's convenor Golak Nayak claimed that the introduction of the affidavit was a result of conspiracy.
"When the block grant was abolished, we thanked the CM (Naveen Patnaik). But later, the Additional Chief Secretary, who is in charge of the Higher Education Department and some of his associates hatched a conspiracy to bring this 'affidavit system'," Nayak alleged.

Higher Education Minister Ananta Das, however, said there were no specific demands of the agitating teachers. "The teachers have no specific demands. They are opposing certain procedures. This can be solved through discussion.