Civic workers on strike in Orissa

The Federation has been demanding fulfilment of its six-point charter of demands, including government-servant status for municipal employees, implementation of Central pay-scales, regularisation of employees, pension to retired employees at par with their Government counterparts, HUDCO loan for cyclone-affected employees and conversion of Contributory Provident Fund to General Provident Fund.

According to reports, civic work was hit in various parts of the state. In Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur, Rourkela and Nayagarh, the strike was complete, the reports said.

Work was paralysed in Cuttack city and the municipal corporation had to hire private personnel for garbage removal. Similarly, roads were littered in Behrampur and officials say rain water collecting on the streets may cause health problems.

According to Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation BMC officials, Class Four employees did not participate in the strike.

Director of State Municipal Administration R.N. Das said there was mixed reaction to the strike and field staff in Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda and other areas did not participate. He said the government and individual civic bodies had employed alternative methods of garbage removal.

Urban Development Minister Sameer Dey told The Indian Express the strike was unjustified as the department has agreed to fulfil four of the Federation8217;s six demands. He said the demand for Central pay-scales and Government-servant status to the municipal employees was under active consideration of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

A committee comprising Additional Secretary, Finance, Director of Municipal Administration and a senior executive officer has been formed to look into the financial position of the civic bodies, their revenue sources in the post-entry tax period and the financial burden to be imposed if the two demands are accepted, according to Dey.

Dey also said these demands could be accepted only after the committee submitted its report. He said although the Federation had been intimated earlier, it did not pay heed to the information. The minimum pension amounts in two slabs 8212; Rs 300 and Rs 1,500 8212; had been hiked to Rs 500 and Rs 3,000 respectively, even though it did not figure in the employees8217; demands, Dey claimed.

The BMC Employees8217; Union denied that any of their demands had been accepted. Its working president Bhubananada Biswal said their talks with the government had failed since it did not accept their demands.