The Data Entry Operators (DEOs) working in the State Secretariat on Friday threatened to resort to dharna on February 26 at the Palm Court in front of the main lift of the Secretariat if their four-point charter of demands is not fulfilled.
In a letter, the DEOs urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take steps to pass orders for enhancement of their monthly remuneration to `15,000 and regularisation of their services. They regretted that though as many as 100 DEOs have been engaged through service provider agencies in different departments of the secretariat for the last 11 years and their services are being renewed annually considering satisfactory performances, they are yet to be regularised.
Even at a time when the market prices have increased manifold, they are getting a paltry amount of `5,000 per month. Even the service provider agencies are deducting `200 from their remunerations.
The DEOs said since they are engaged as contractual employees through service provider agencies against the regular Typist posts, they would lose their job under the new recruitment policy for Groups C and D and their families would face financial hardship.
Regretting that they have been running from pillar to post in support of their genuine demands, they urged the CM to consider regularisation of their services as they are skilled having experience.