Bhubaneswar: As hundreds of women working as support staff under the Mission Shakti department staged a demonstration outside the Assembly over different issues, the Opposition BJD on Monday demanded immediate release of their salaries.

While the agitating women were shouting slogans at Mahatma Gandhi Road leading to the Assembly, the issue was raised in the House during Zero Hour by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik. She criticised the State’s BJP government for stopping the salary of about 60,000 women working as supporting staff to different women self-help groups across the State.

Stating that these supporting staff were recruited by the previous BJD government to help the SHGs, Mallik said: “The BJP government stopped their salary after assuming office. There is fear among the women that their jobs will be terminated.” She said former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had empowered 70 lakh women in the State by bringing them under the umbrella of Mission Shakti.

The BJD MLA, Byomakesh Ray, also supported Mallik and said that the women were appointed as MBK (Master Book Keeper), Bank mitras, LSP (logistic service provider), CRP (Community resource persons), Krushi Mitra and Prani mitras. They were given salary on a share basis both by the Central government and the State government. The BJD member, Goutam Buddha Das, pointed out that they have been appointed since 2011 under the guidelines of National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

The BJP member, Manas Dutta, however, blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service agreement which ended in April, 2024. “Who was in the government in April this year? Why the previous government did not extend their jobs,” he asked and accused the Opposition BJD of misleading the agitating women.

The BJD member, Dhrubacharan Sahoo, said the previous government could not extend the service of the Misson Shakti supporting staff as there was model code of conduct in force for the general elections to Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha. “The new government should consider their case and release their salaries,” Sahoo said. Meanwhile, the women, under the banner of All Odisha GPLF (Gram Panchayat Level Federation) Mission Shakti workers and Biju Shramik Samukhya Sangha, staged protest over non-payment of salary. They said despite their repeated efforts and petitions, the Odisha government had “failed” to pay their salaries for the last nine months. Finding no other solution, they have called a protest, the agitators said. “The new Odisha government has not given us our remuneration. Despite our repeated requests, we did not receive any money.

We are working like daily-wage labourers,” said a protester.

Biju Shramik Samukhya Sangha president Prafulla Samal and Cuttack mayor Subhash Singh held discussions with the agitators at the protest site.