The pump drivers supplying water in the rural areas of the State would lock the pump houses and return the keys to the Government and squat before the State Assembly fromWednesday during its current session till their demands are met, said the Odisha Rajya Milita Swabalambi Karigar Sangha.
In the rural water supply in the State, there are four lakh pump tube wells and 10,000 pump houses. For their functioning and maintenance 13,900 pump drivers and tube well mechanics are engaged and they are getting a monthly remuneration of `1,000. However, a regular employee doing the same work is getting `25,000.
To protest against this discrimination, the employees would embark on a stir enmasse and take to the streets, said the Sangha president Pradipta Ram said. The Sangha members had met the Panchayati Raj Minister Arun Sahu , who had assured them to get their demands fulfilled within seven days, said Ram.