Coming down heavily on the State Government for developing cold feet towards their long standing demands, hundreds of agitating members of the Odisha Rajya Milita Swabalambi Karigar Sangha (United Self-Employed Mechanics’ Union), engaged in water supply service in rural parts of the State, on Tuesday gheraoed Panchayati Raj Minister Kalpataru Das at his residence, demanding immediate proactive measures to sort out their problems.
The water supply service in remote areas in the State stood stalled since November 30 due to the agitation of the mechanics. They have been demanding implementation of minimum wage, status as employees and minimum monthly allowance of Rs 10,000. Sangha president Pradipta Ram said the self employed mechanics (SEMs) numbering about 12,000 in the State have been engaged in water supply service in rural areas across the State for more than last two decades to operate, repair and maintain pump houses and tube wells, besides supplying, testing and purifying drinking water.
“Though we are doing an essential service throughout the year, yet we are being deprived of basic Government facilities,” lamented Ram. He threatened that the strike would be intensified if the Government did not fulfill their genuine demands.