Bhubaneswar, Aug 26: The Odisha District Revenue Ministerial Employees, who had been on a cease-work strike since August 11 in support of a 10-point charter of demands, have officially called off their protest on Tuesday. The decision comes in light of the prevailing flood situation in several districts and the upcoming festive season.
Tirupati Balaji Sahu, President of the employees' association, said, “In view of the ongoing floods in some parts of the state and the forthcoming festivals, we have decided to end our protest in the larger interest of the public and resume duties from today.”
Another senior member of the association noted that their meeting with Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Monday evening was positive.
“The government has assured us that it will consider our genuine demands. The outcome of the meeting indicates that the administration is willing to move forward on our issues,” he said.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari welcomed the employees’ decision to return to work. He urged them to put in extra effort to clear the backlog of work that has accumulated due to the two-week-long protest.
The striking employees, represented by the Odisha Rajaswa Amala Sangha (ORAS), had earlier stated that they were compelled to launch the agitation due to years of government inaction on their long-pending demands. These include:
Framing and implementation of District Revenue Ministerial Cadre Rules to facilitate long-overdue promotions
Inclusion of all eligible district offices and staff into the Revenue Ministerial Service Cadre
Implementation of a uniform pay structure with necessary pay upgrades
Creation of a new post of Assistant Section Officer (ASO)
