TV
It's been almost two weeks since the Panchayat Executive Officers (PEOs) across Odisha are on strike. And, this has adversely affected most of the developmental works at panchayat levels. Be it Madhubabu pension yojana or other beneficiaries of PMAY, the beneficiaries are tired of making rounds to their respective panchayat offices.
Though the PEOs’ stir entered its 12th day on Tuesday, the Odisha government seems to be in deep slumber. If such a stalemate continues, it might create problems for the beneficiaries of old age and other pensions. Such are the scenes across Odisha.
In Koraput, all the PEOs of the district are now staging a dharna in front of the Collectorate. Their demands include- making the PEO qualification to +3, pay level to be increased to 9 from level 5, permanent employment and promotion. They also are demanding promotion of senior PEOs as Gram Panchayat Executive Officers.
“We have been staging a cease work agitation for the last 12 days. Initially, we wore black badges and were forced to stage dharna as no step was taken by the government to fulfill our demands. We have only a two-point charter of demands- increasing the educational qualification to +3 and increasing pay to scale 9 from scale 5,” said a protestor.
Beneficiaries are also yet to receive the second installment of PMAY due to the ongoing strike by the PEOs. This apart, the cease work has pushed several other developmental works to the corner.
In Malkangiri’s Chitrakonda, the scenes are also not different. The beneficiaries with their pension cards are waiting outside the panchayat office. However, there is nobody to listen to their grievances. The beneficiaries are now returning home with empty hands after waiting for long hours for the past 11 days.
“I had come for pension of my grandmother. I have already got the signatures of other officials, but my work is not being done as I am unable to get the signature of the PEO as they are now on strike,” said a beneficiary.
Devendra Das, another beneficiary said, "People are facing problems in getting rice and pension. We urge the government to resolve the issues at the earliest."
