Bhubaneswar, Feb 6: The police resorted to lathi charge to disperse agitating block grant teachers while they were on their way on Friday to gherao Naveen Niwas from the Lower PMG square demanding fulfillment of their 9-point charter of demands, which includes full grant-in-aid. Some of the teachers sustained injuries as a result of the lathi charge.
Police said their action followed as the agitating teachers tried to break the cordon not heeding warning.
Eyewitnesses said some protesters also pelted stones at police. Vehicular movement on the Rajmahal-Sishu Bhawan was affected due to the agitation. “The government has been cheating us forthe last 40 days. We demand full grant-in-aid. We would rather die than back off from our agitation till our demands are met,” an agitating teacher said.
DCP Satyabrat Bhoi said, “We are persuading the agitators not to create law and order situation.”
General secretary of the Association, Prashant Kumar Mohapatra had earlier said the Association during its meeting with the chief minister on September 27 last year was assured that the government would fulfil its demands. But nothing has been done since last four months while the state government is trying to wash its hands off the issue by announcing a 20 percent hike in the salary of the secondary school teachers and staffs.
