Senior BJD leader and former MLA Pravat Biswal on Monday urged the members of the Odisha Pipe Water Workers’ Union, of which he is the president, not to go ahead with their decision to gherao the Naveen Niwas on Wednesday (October 23) as most of their demands have been fulfilled by the Government.
Through a release, Biswal said that the CM residence gherao decision has not been taken in his knowledge.
He said Chief Minister Patnaik has fulfilled 70 per cent of the demands made by the association since 25 years. Under his leadership the union had met the CM many times and thanked him often for the fulfillment of their demands. Despite this, the union’s decision is most unfortunate, he added.
Further the former MLA said that among the 6,122 NMR and HR in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation and Urban Development Departments, 4,044 were given Work Charge position in 2008-2009. And the rest 2,078 were given wages with a hike of Rs 100, which has not been done in any department yet, Biswal informed.
He also mentioned that as the case is pending in the Supreme Court, there is a problem to give work charge to the remaining 2,078 NMR and HR. Till now there is a proposal pending with the Government of regularising the Work Charge workers, he further stated.