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Seeking divine intervention for salary revision

Satyasundar Barik

OSRTC employees have been waiting for 12 years

Employees sing bhajans before and after work hours
Finance Department’s nod awaited

Staff of the OSRTC praying before entering office in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

BHUBANESWAR: Everyday a group of employees of the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) enter their office building here they first offer their prayer before a flame of clay-lamp flickering inside an earthen pot for last 100 days before putting their signature in the attendance register.

It sounds unusual but true. These employees don’t want to take chance anymore. As their 12-year-long struggle for getting salary at par with other State government employees entered its last leg, they have sought divine intervention to ensure that no official interference pour cold water on their hopes.

About 1,140 staff of the OSRTC have been anxiously waiting to see their salaries upwardly revised as per the fifth pay commission recommendations which were implemented for other government employees over a decade ago.

All the Orissa State Road Transport Staff Association (AOSRTSA) says since 1996 it has done everything from requesting their higher-ups to meeting chief minister Naveen Patnaik to staging silent demonstration in front of the office to highlight their demand, but all their efforts have gone in vain.

Pay revision

Since the OSRTC was incurring losses, implementation of the fifth pay commission recommendations became difficult. However, since 2002 the corporation has been making profit. As a result, the employees have intensified their demands for salary revision.

Their hopes got a boost in March this year when board of the OSRTC recommended the State government for revision of pay scale. This was the moment when these employees felt that they were nearer to realising their dreams.

Suddenly, they hit upon the idea to start worshipping on the office premises. According to a priest’s advice, they would have to keep the clay lamp lighting till they don’t get the revised salary. Now groups of employees are alternatively sing bhajan kirtan (devotional songs) every morning and evening.

AOSRTSA Vice-President Prasanna Mohanty said, “employees are desperately waiting for the salary revision. Due to low salary, several of them have gone through indescribable ordeal.”

According to the OSRTC sources, the board’s revision was under consideration of Public Enterprise and Finance Department. Once these two departments give their clearances, necessary funds will be released.

However, the corporation has reportedly pinned all their hopes on money to be deposited by Reliance Retail towards acquiring unused land possessed by the OSRTC in Berhampur, Cuttack, Barbil, Dhenkanal and Bhubaneswar. The first instalment of payment is likely to be made by the company soon.

Whatever are the process difficulties, employees have now taken shelter in God’s court for a happy climax to their 12-year-long waiting.

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