The opposition BJD on Monday demanded the immediate release of their salaries after hundreds of women working as support staff under the Mission Shakti Department protested outside the Assembly over various issues.
When the agitating women were shouting slogans on Mahatma Gandhi Road towards the Speaker, Pramila Mallik, Chief Whip of the Opposition, raised the issue in the House at zero time. He criticized the BJP government in the state for withholding the salaries of around 60,000 women working as support staff in various women’s self-help groups across the state.
Stating that these support staff were recruited by the previous BJD government to help SHGs, Mallick said: “The BJP government stopped their salaries after taking office. There is fear that women will lose their jobs. She said that former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had empowered 70 lakh women of the state by bringing them under the umbrella of Mission Shakti.
BJD MLA Byamokesh Ray also supported Mallick and said that women were appointed as MBK (Master Book Keeper), Bank Mitra, LSP (Logistic Service Provider), CRP (Community Resource Person), Krishi Mitra and Prani Mitra. The central and state governments have been giving them salary on the basis of shares.
BJD member Gautam Budh pointed out that they were appointed since 2011 under the guidelines of the National Rural Livelihood Mission.
BJP member Manas Dutt, however, blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service contract which expired in April, 2024. “Who was in the government in April this year? Why didn’t the previous government extend their jobs,” he asked and accused the opposition BJD of misleading the protesting women.
BJD member Dhruvachanaran Sahu said that the previous government could not extend the services of Mission Shakti support staff because there was a code of conduct in force for general elections to Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha. Sahu said, ‘The new government should consider their case and release their salaries.
Meanwhile, under the banner of All Odisha GPLF (Gram Panchayat Level Federation) Mission Shakti Kartkar and Biju Shramik Samuhika Sangh, women protested against non-payment of salaries.
They said that despite their repeated efforts and pleas, the Odisha government has “failed” to pay their salaries for the last nine months. The protestors said that they called for the protest after finding no other solution.
“The new Odisha government has not given us our wages. Despite repeated requests, we have not received the money. We are working like daily wage labourers,” said a protester.
President of Biju Shramik Samuh Sangh Praful Samal and Mayor of Cuttack Subhash Singh discussed with the protestors at the protest site.