Coming down heavily on the State Government for its continued apathy towards their longstanding demands, around 1,800 jail employees, under the banner of the All-Odisha Jail Employees’ Association (AOJEA) on Thursday threatened to go on a State-wide hunger strike from June 10 in front of all jails.
Briefing mediapersons about the lackadaisical attitude of the Government, association president Tameemur Reheman said, “During our eight-day-long hunger strike in December last year Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had assured us to take immediate measures to meet our 11-point charter of demands on a priority basis, but in vain, forcing us to resort to another spell of hunger strike from June 10.”
The jail employees have been demanding equal pay at par with their counterparts in the State police department, eight-hour duty, modern weapons for their safety as they have to guard hardened criminals and stopping of intentional transfer and deputation.
According to association vice-president Asit Dwibedi, “Prior to 1974, jail warders and police constables used to draw equal salary. later, while the salaries of constables were increased, the jail employees’ case was forgotten.”
“While we are drawing Rs 4,440 and Rs 1,650 as grade pay per month, a constable gets a salary of Rs 5,200 plus a grade pay of Rs 2,000. The qualifications for both warders and policemen are the same and both undergo nine months’ training,” Dwibedi pointed out.
“We have decided to stage a three-day protest democratically by wearing black badges in front of the jails from June 7 to 9 and at the same time will do our duty. If the Government fails to meet our demands by June 9, we will sit on an indefinite hunger strike from the following day,” said Reheman.