Police officials at Pranab Prakash Das’ residence
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Relatives of energy department employees who died while working at different electric supply units in the state Friday ransacked and hurled eggs at the residence of energy minister Pranab Prakash Das in Surya Nagar here.
At least 30 people were detained by commissionerate police in this connection.
About 300 people have been demonstrating at Lower PMG for the last four months to highight their demand for jobs at different electric supply units under the department of energy in the state on compassionate grounds. Some of the protestors have also tonsured their heads as a mark of protest.
The protestors Friday barged into Das’ residence for allegedly not taking any step in this regard, according to police.
“The enraged protestors broke several flower pots and wooden furniture kept in the lawn. Some window panes of the minister’s house were also smashed,” said a police official.
An agitator alleged that the state government had turned a deaf ear to their demands. “We have been staging protests peacefully for the last four months and had not resorted to any violence. However, the officials of these units have so far not paid any heed to our demands, so we were forced to take such a step,” he said.
The agitators also claimed that though the state government has issued letters to respective units asking them to implement the rehabilitation assistance scheme, the officials of these units are denying them jobs.
The Orissa Civil Service (Rehabilitation Scheme) Rules, 1990, makes the government responsible for ensuring that family members of a government servant who dies while in service or retires after facing permanent incapacitation do not face immediate distress.
Theminister said they are taking steps according to the gazette notification and are following the legal procedure to compensate affected families.
“The issue had been discussed in the Assembly and we have formed a committee to see how they can receive more insurance, remuneration and other benefits,” Das said. The government, he said, is taking steps according to the gazette notification and following legal procedure to compensate the affected families. The government is also taking steps to compensate the families, the minister said.
Capital police station officials said the minister has not lodged any complaint against the protestors. “Whatever they did Friday, they did because of anger and frustration,” the minister said.
