**Bhubaneswar: ** The school and college teachers, who were on strike for the 17 days in a row on the street of Mahatma Gandhi Marg here, put their agitation on hold following their fruitful talks with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Friday evening.
The Chief Minister announced abolition of block grant, which the agitating teachers were demanding, and fulfilled their demand of full grant in aid henceforth.
But, the school and college teachers under the block grant category will not be entitled to the pay hike following implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations by the Odisha Government recently for its in-service employees and pensioners.
In his media reactions, the Chief Minister also appealed the protesting teachers to go back to their respective schools and college from today night and resume their teaching work religiously again.
The teachers being satisfied not only put on hold their strike from today, but also has given the State Government two months time for the fulfilment of their other demands.