Odisha Lecturers Demand New Grant-in-Aid Policy Amid Protests

Protest for Grant-in-Aid Policy in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: On Saturday, members of the Odisha State Non-Government Lecturer & Employees Association (OSNLEA) gathered at Lower PMG to voice their demands for a new grant-in-aid policy covering the period from June 1, 2008, to June 1, 2018.

The demonstrators displayed banners and shouted slogans advocating for their cause.

They expressed frustration over the lack of action from the state government, despite previous promises to create a new grant-in-aid policy.

The government had previously introduced a policy framework and sought input from various stakeholders via social media, along with conducting meetings with educators and teacher representatives.

However, teachers have reported that these efforts have not yielded any tangible results. Their primary concern is the release of overdue grant-in-aid benefits.

Educators argue that successive administrations have adopted a discriminatory stance against teachers by failing to disburse these rightful payments, leading to significant financial and emotional strain.

OSNLEA president Biswaranjan Das stated, “We are calling for a new grant-in-aid policy as we have not received any grants from the government.

Our salaries are solely dependent on college management, which are insufficient for our livelihoods. The last grant-in-aid policy was established in 2014, and no new policies have been introduced since then.

We will initiate a cease-work protest starting Monday until our demands are addressed.”