The Odisha State Government Employees’ Coordination Committee will resort to a State wide agitation on February 19 by protesting the exploitative policy of the State Government in view of its recent decision on DA hike and release of arrear.

The State Government recently announced to hike the dearness allowance (DA) by 5 per cent, besides releasing 10 per cent of the arrear for three lakh Government employees and two lakh pension holders. But the committee alleged that the decision had spread large scale resentment among the employees as the Government had deviated from its 40 years’ policy.

It said that of the 60 per cent arrear, the Government had announced to release only 10 per cent while it was silent on the rest 50 per cent. Besides, the DA has been delinked from the basic pay, which has created much uncertainty among the employees, the committee told.

“The Government has also deviated from its policy by going for contractual appointment in rehabilitation scheme in 4th class posts. It also criticized the outsourcing of para medical staff in hospitals and not regularizing hundreds of employees on contractual posting for years despite vacancies. Contractual employees are also deprived of DA and HRA, while those appointed after 2005 have no pension,” said leaders of the committee.

The employees will hold demonstration at the district Collector’s offices across the State with their genuine demands so that the message goes to the CM, told leaders Prasant Kumar Mohanty, Mahesh Patnaik, Sadananda Behera, Kanhu Charan Mallick, Biswamohan Mohapatra and Bikash Chandra Mohapatra, among others.