Bhubaneswar, Aug. 19: More than 40,000 school teachers and non-teaching staff members' associations across the state demonstrated before the Assembly today.

They were demanding the implementation of the Odisha Grant-in-aid order of 1994 to all eligible schools. The teachers have been in an agitating mode since August 10.

The agitation of the teachers led to the closure of academic activities in at least 4,000 schools across the state. Besides the block grant teachers, the Gana Shikshak Mahasang, Secondary School Teachers Association and Odisha Vidyalaya Sikshak Mahasangh also staged a massive demonstration in front of the Assembly.

The teachers have been demanding the Grant-in-aid order and want all eligible high schools in government fold. This will make them eligible for the benefits as laid down in the Service Condition Rule of 1974.

The Block Grant Secondary School Teachers and Employees Association have also been demanding the benefits of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan (RMSA) to the students of these schools and taking proper care of the infrastructure in schools. They have also been demanding uniformity in payment of salaries of Class IV employees and filling the 1,576 vacancies under different categories.

The president of the association, Prashant Mohapatra said: "The state government is giving more emphasis on how to deceive the teachers rather than trying to solve their problems. The association will continue this mass rally till the end of the Assembly session."

"The protest will go on and we would demonstrate in front of the residences of the legislators if the government fails to fulfil our demands by August 20," said Prakash Mohanty, the convener of the Odisha Vidyalaya Sikshak Mahasangh.

Mahatma Gandhi Marg remained chaotic today with several organisations staging demonstrations. The teaching and non-teaching staff members of the Barapada School of Engineering and Technology also continued with their agitation. They demanded the payment of their salaries for the last four months besides insisting an immediate probe into the financial irregularities in the college. The protestors also demanded the state government to take over the management of the institute.

The Odisha Ministerial Officers' Association also staged a dharna demanding grade pay and other benefits. "We play a role in the administrative works during elections, floods and cyclones but the government is silent about our demands," said P.K Tripathy, the general secretary of the association.