Odisha: SHG workers hit street over unpaid dues; BJD comes out in support
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday alleged that the Odisha government was conspiring to the stop the salaries of the Mission Shakti women
Amid agitation by over 62,000 community resource persons under the Odisha Livelihood Mission over non-payment of remuneration of more than seven months, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday alleged the Mohan Majhi government in the state was conspiring to stop their salaries.
“I strongly condemn this. As you know more than 70 lakh women are in the Mission Shakti. We in the Biju Janata Dal have always supported to Mission Shakti women. We will continue to support them,” Patnaik told reporters outside the State Assembly on Tuesday.
Over 62,000 community resource persons under Mission Shakti, bank mitras under panchayatiraj department, krishi mitras under agriculture department and prani mitras under animal resources department have been agitating in Bhubaneswar since Monday demanding payment of their monthly remuneration which was stopped in May this year. The protest, organised by the All Odisha Gram Panchayat Level Federation (GPLF) and other supporting organisations, highlighted the plight of workers who have not received their remunerations.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said the issue was discussed in the Assembly on Monday and no one should mislead the protesters. “We will take all the steps that are in the interest of the women,” she said. BJP MLA Manas Kumar Dutta alleged that the BJD was responsible for non-payment of salaries to Mission Shakti women as the previous government had not extended the service agreement that expired in April 2024.
The protestors, led by Nirupama Nayak, president of GPLF, expressed their frustration over the delay in salary payments and the lack of job security. “We perform our duties with utmost honesty, but we are not receiving the basic salaries that are rightfully ours,” Nayak said. The workers have been appealing to officials and ministers for months but have only received assurances without any concrete action.
Aishwarya Biswal, president of the Odisha BJP Mahila Morcha, said the appointments made by the previous BJD government were for five years, which ended in April. “Our government is deliberating on how to regularise or extend the employment period of the community resource persons and other employees,” she said.
As per the guidelines issued by the Odisha Livelihood Mission under the panchayatiraj department of Odisha, the community resource persons were getting anything between ₹6,250-10,750 every month as remuneration. The remuneration system that began in April 2019, ended in April this year and was not renewed afterwards. The Odisha Livelihoods Mission is a centrally sponsored scheme, with the Centre and state sharing funds in a 60:40 ratio. It was aimed at alleviating poverty through rural livelihoods promotion by mobilising the poor and vulnerable households into different community level institutions like SHGs, federations and producer groups/organisations. While the CRPs facilitate the opening of Savings Bank accounts for SHGs, the master book keepers are responsible for maintaining the financial accounts of Gram Panchayat Level Federation. The bank mitras manage help desks in assigned bank branches acting as banking correspondents. The Krishi Mitras provide agricultural support to farmers, including technical guidance and supply of farm inputs while the prani mitras provide livestock support, collect information on livestock, and prepare activity plans for interventions.
The SHG groups had turned out to be a crucial factor in the electoral success of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who remained in power for 24 years, as he showered them with financial package starting from loans to outsourcing government work in different departments. The women rallied behind BJD in at least three assembly and Lok Sabha polls.