1800 jail staff call off hunger strike after eight days

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Mar 4:

After eight days of indefinite state-wide hunger strike, around 1800 jail staff across the state owing alleginace to the All Odisha Jail Employees Association (AOJEA) called off their protest on Tuesday after an assurance by Additional DG Jail Pradip Kapoor that their demands would be fulfilled soon .

Additional IG (Jail) Bishnu Charan Prusty, along with Bhubaneswar Central MLA Bijay Mohanty, served the jail staff some fruit juice to end the week-long hunger strike here at Jharpada jail here.

Md. Tameemur Rehman, President of AOJEA, said “We called-off the hunger strike after getting assurance from the ADG Jail that our demands will be fullfilled very soon.” “The ADG also said he had discussed the issue with the state’s Home Secretary Bipin Saxena and had received his consent for fulfillment of our demands.”

Warders, head warders and chief head warders of different jails in the state had launched the hunger strike on February 25.

They were protesting the state government’s failure in fulfilling their demands for equalisation of grade pay with police personnel, an end to irrational transfer and deputation and fulfillment of vacant warder posts.