SAMBALPUR: The Odisha Kendupatra Karmachari Sangha (OKKS) has decided to stage a massive demonstration at the office of the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) in Aranya Bhavan, Bhubaneswar on October 14 over their long-pending demands.
The decision was taken at a state-level meeting chaired by union president Bijay Kumar Mohanty on Sunday. The union alleged that despite several petitions and discussions with top officials, the demands of kendu leaf pluckers, binders and seasonal workers are yet to be fulfilled.
On May 26, a memorandum was submitted to the chief minister who directed the additional chief secretary of Forest department to examine the demands and resolve them at the earliest. However, no steps have been taken in this regard even after four months, claimed Mohanty.
During a meeting at Deogarh on June 3, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced social security assistance of `460 for pluckers and `700 for blankets and mosquito nets for binders. The announcement is yet to materialise, he alleged.
The OKKS members said the revised minimum wage announced in July 2024 has not been implemented leaving workers underpaid for over a year.
Similarly, the promised Rs 25,000 marriage assistance for daughters of pluckers and seasonal workers has been scrapped. The original `100 crore budget for kendu leaf workers’ welfare was cut by half and `120 crore allocation for this year is yet to be transferred, they alleged.