Orissa Engineers agitate to press their demands

Bhubaneswar, Nov 23 (UNI) Over 3,000 engineers, under the banner of Orissa Engineers Service Association (OESA), have resorted to agitation in support of their seven-point charter of demands.

The demands included, among other things, appointment of engineers as the head of the Engineering Department in Urban Development, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Water Resources, removal of pay anomalies, time-bound scale, filling up of vacant posts and promotion as per gradation list.

OESA general secretary M R Nanda told newspersons here that the agitational programme would be finalised in the next general body meeting to be convened soon.

He alleged that Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had not heeded their demands, despite giving assurances in May.

The Chief Minister, Mr Nanda said, had also directed to constitute a Cabinet committee with the Rural Development, Finance, Urban Development and Panchayat Raj ministers, as members to examine the proposal to appoint engineers to head and manage engineering departments within three months.

But unfortunately, no progress had been made so far, he said.

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