Bhubaneswar: Raising the issue of Gaon Sathi workers on the second day of the Odisha Assembly budget session on Tuesday, the Opposition demanded that the government should hold discussions with the Gaon Sathi workers to resolve their problems and sought a ruling from the Speaker.
Mohan Majhi, Chief Whip of the opposition BJP, said, “As the state government didn’t solve the problems of many people, they are forced to stage dharna at the lower PMG during the assembly session.” For a long time, the Gaon Sathi workers have been staging a dharna, but the government has yet to pay heed, Majhi said.
The opposition Chief Whip said that the Gaon Sathi workers work under the Panchayati Raj department. No matter how much they draw the government’s attention, their demands are yet to be considered. The order came in April 2008, and the then minister and the departmental secretary discussed it but more than 13 long years have elapsed, and the Gaon Sathi workers are yet to get justice.
Their demands include Job regularization, a monthly salary of Rs 10,000 and others. The state government has forced them to stage a dharna. There are 70,000 Gaon Sathi workers, the government should give them an incentive amount of Rs 10,000, and for this, the minister and the department should be instructed by the Speaker, Majhi added.
Senior Congress leader and legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra also appealed to Speaker Pramila Mallick, repeating the words of the opposition chief whip Mohan Majhi. Stating that the demands of the Gaon Sathi workers are justified, Mishara appealed to the Speaker to discuss the issue with the departmental minister and senior officials.
