Odisha revenue staff strike enters fourth day, public services crippled

Defying a stern government warning, revenue department employees across Odisha have continued their state-wide strike for the fourth consecutive day, bringing essential public services to a grinding halt.

The state revenue department had earlier issued a directive stating that employees on leave without prior approval would face salary suspension. However, members of the Revenue Employees’ Association have ignored the notice, standing firm on their 10-point charter of demands.

Public at the Receiving End

With work suspended at revenue offices from the state capital to the district blocks, citizens seeking critical documents such as land pattas, income certificates, and legal heir certificates have been turned away in frustration. In many rural areas, long queues outside tehsil offices have ended in disappointment, as locked counters and vacant desks greeted visitors.

“I have been coming here for three days for my legal heir certificate, but every time I’m told the employees are on strike,” said a resident of Khordha, holding a folder of documents. 

Similar scenes played out in Cuttack, Balasore, and Koraput, where people travelled long distances only to return empty-handed.

Demands at the Heart of the Protest

Sources reported that the striking employees are demanding, among other things, that their basic pay be upgraded to Level 9, the health insurance cover be increased from the current limit to Rs 20 lakh, and that promotions be granted every four years. They also want the New Pension Scheme scrapped and the Old Pension Scheme reinstated.

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"The government is yet to offer a resolution of this matter. There are no talks on how to sort this matter out. Ours is a long-standing demand. However, the government only keeps delaying our issue instead of solving it,” said a protest participant, Uday Narayan Panda.

Government’s Hardline Stance

Meanwhile, the revenue department officials have reiterated that prolonged unauthorised absence will invite disciplinary action, but the association appears unmoved. The standoff has left administrative work paralysed, with mounting delays in land transactions, verification processes, and welfare benefits.