Resume duties or face action: Odisha Minister warns on-strike Amala Sangha members

Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday urged the protesting officials to withdraw their strike immediately. Warning of strict measures if agitation continues illegally, he emphasised that mass leave will not be tolerated and salaries may be withheld if duties are not resumed.

Also Read: Odisha Amala Sangha puts state-wide strike on hold

The revenue employees’ association, which launched an indefinite strike from Monday, has been strongly urged by the Revenue Minister to end their protest and return to work. The outfit is currently staging a complete work boycott and participating in mass leave across the State.

Minister Pujari warned that if the strike continues, the State government will be compelled to take ‘necessary action’, including halting salaries. “Issues, if any, can be resolved through dialogue, not by sitting idle,” he said. He added that orders have already been issued to District Collectors to cancel leaves granted to the protesting staff.

On the cadre restructuring issue, Pujari clarified that it does not fall under the purview of the Revenue Department. The matter has already been referred to the General Administration Department. The Minister insisted that taking mass leave without waiting for a decision is not acceptable.

The strike, which has already disrupted government functioning across districts, stems from a 10-point charter of demands. These include bringing all revenue staff under pay level 9, increasing health insurance coverage to Rs 20 lakhs, time-bound promotions every four years, and scrapping the new pension scheme in favour of restoring the old pension plan.

Despite appeals, the association has resolved to continue the strike indefinitely until its demands are addressed.

“The principal subject matter of cadre restructuring, what they (Amala Sangha) have been demanding, does not come under the purview of the Revenue Department; it is rather done by the GA (General Administration) Department. We have already sent the respective file to the GA Department with our remarks. They (the GA Department) will take a final call in this regard,” the Revenue Minister said while speaking to mediapersons.

“Everything takes its time to get done. Hence, (Amala Sangha members) taking a mass leave without waiting for the outcome is not something healthy for common people coming to the Revenue Department to avail public services (for their different works),” Minister Pujari said.

“Hence, all leave applications will be cancelled and not be approved. The existing ‘no pay for no work’ policy of the government will be executed,” the Revenue Minister added.