Thousands of members of the Odisha Pipe Water Workers’ Union (OPWWU) went in a procession and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the RDC (Southern) here on Monday demanding immediate regularisation of all temporary employees working on daily wages and contractual basis.
Though the workers are working hard to provide drinking water to more than four crore people in the State and working as temporary employees under different departments — including PHD (Engineering) for last several decades, the genuine demand for their regular appointment against permanent vacancies remain unheeded by the Government, said OPWWU State office secretary Deenabandhu Sripallab. Government representatives have several times given written assurance to consider the issues, but in vain.
On October 1 last, the Chief Secretary had discussed the issue of regularisation of workers with the Finance Secretary, and on November 23, the Chief Minister had constituted a high-powered committee headed by the Chief Secretary to examine the issue.
Though over two months have elapsed, no tangible action has yet been taken in the matter so vital for 12,000 pipe water employees, said secretary of Brahmapur Division of OPWWU Ambari Jena.
The OPWWU executive committee had requested the Government to make all the temporary employees permanent by January 10 which the Government ignored.
The employees strongly condemned the apathetic attitude of the Government. The union unanimously authorised its chief advisor MlA Prabhat Ranjan Biswal to take appropriate steps for discussion with the Government.
In case the Government fails to regularise all the employees and brings out a relevant notification to this effect, the OPWWU would intensify its agitation by resorting to fast-unto-death in front of its State office Jeevan Club at Kharavel Nagar in Bhubaneswar from February 18, the leaders cautioned.