Hundreds of members of the Odisha Temporary Kendu leaf Workers’ Union staged a rally in front of the State Assembly here on Thursday demanding work charge of 1,071 Kendu leaf workers before the Election Commission of India (ECI) enforces code of conduct for the General Elections. The workers stated that the Forest Department had taken decisions at a high-level meeting to give work-charge status to the temporary Kendu leaf pluckers and ensure three months’ work for the Munsis, but the decisions are yet to be implemented. The file is still pending in the Finance Department for over seven months, they pointed out. Odisha Karmachari Sangram Samiti leader Prabhat Mohanty and Nalin Pati and other leaders of the union alleged that the Government takes decisions after holding discussions with the unscrupulous organisations instead of holding talks with real organisations which fight for the workers. “If the Government does not fulfil our demands, we will stage a dharna in front of the Forest Range offices across the State by stopping bush cutting and plucking of Kendu leaf,” said the workers.