Bhubaneswar, March 13: Block grant teachers have threatened not to participate in the evaluation process of papers of the matriculation examination, which is scheduled to begin from March 17, to protest against the state government’s “indifference” towards their demands.

The teachers have decided that they would picket outside 74 evaluation centres and try to persuade other teachers to refuse to evaluate answer sheets.

“We will appeal to them to understand our situation and support the agitation,” said Prasanta Mahapatra, president of the Block Grant Secondary School Teachers’ Association.

There are about 32,700 block grant teachers in 2, 309 schools across the state.

The block grant teachers had earlier boycotted invigilation duties in the matriculation examinations.

The teachers have decided to agitate in front of the Assembly on March 18. “If the government fails to address our grievances, we will stage a candle march to the Jagannath temple in Puri,” said Mahapatra.

Following their agitation, the state government had said on December 7, last year, that the block grant teachers would be given 100 per cent grant-in-aid. Repeating the assurance on February 20, the government had also announced that a new grant-in-aid policy would be formulated to take care of the demands of the teachers. Following an assurance that the government would resolve the issue by March 10, the teachers had called off their agitation on February 23.

“However, the government has failed to keep its promise. It continues to play with our emotions,” said Prasanta Pati, secretary of the association.