Cuttack/ Bhubaneswar, March 10: Lecturers of block grant colleges, who had threatened to boycott Plus Two evaluation duty if their demand for a new grant-in-aid policy was not fulfilled by March 11, have assured cooperation in the “larger interest” of the students.

“Students have already been harassed enough with the physics and chemistry question papers being leaked and the exams rescheduled. So, we have decided not to turn our backs on them at this crucial juncture,” said vice-president of the 488 category block grant college association Pabitra Mahala.

Teaching and non-teaching staff of block grant colleges had withdrawn their 75-day agitation in time to join invigilation and other exam-related duty on the condition that a new grant-in-aid policy is chalked out by March 11.

“Though we will complete evaluation and ensure publication of results in time, we will continue our protests silently. We will wear black badges while fulfilling our duties,” said Mahala.

Board of Secondary Education authorities have said that evaluation of answer booklets of the high school certificate exams will start from March 17 at 74 centres across the state.

A three-tier security arrangement has been made in this regard.

Official sources said nearly 23,000 teachers would be roped in for the process that is likely to be completed within 15 days.

One chief examiner and three deputy examiners would supervise the entire valuation and tabulation of marks.

The BSE has also decided to bring in changes in the timings keeping in view many irregularities experienced last year such as power cuts.

“We have made elaborate plans to ensure that there is no wrong valuation. It will be done from 9:30am to 5 pm instead of late hours,” said BSE secretary Ramakrushna Sahoo.

The results are likely to be published by last week of April or in the first week of May.

Nearly, 5.97 lakh students had appeared at the exam held from February 25 to March 10.

Nearly 4,818 regular and 3,678 ex-regular students were booked for malpractice this year.