Hundreds of Mission Shakti women workers on Monday staged a demonstration outside the Odisha Assembly over their unpaid salaries, with the BJD raising the issue in the House and accusing the BJP government of withholding their wages.

While the agitating women were shouting slogans at the Mahatma Gandhi Road leading to the Assembly, the issue was raised in the House during Zero Hour by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik. She criticised the state’s BJP government for stopping the salary of about 60,000 women working as supporting staff to different women self-help groups (SHGs) across the state.

Stating that these supporting staff were recruited by the previous BJD government to help the SHGs, Mallik said: “The BJP government stopped their salary after assuming office. The women are afraid that they might lose their job.”

She said that former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had empowered 70 lakh women in the state by bringing them under the umbrella of Mission Shakti.

BJD member Goutam Buddha pointed out that these women workers were appointed since 2011 under the guidelines of National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

BJP member Manas Dutta, however, blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service agreement which ended in April, 2024. Accusing the BJD of misleading the agaitating workers, he asked: “Who was in the government in April this year? Why the previous government did not extend their jobs?”

BJD member Dhrubachanran Sahoo said the previous government could not extend the service of the Misson Shakti supporting staff as the model code of conduct was in force for the general elections to Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha. “The new government should consider their case and release their salaries,” he said.

Meanwhile, women under the banner of All Odisha Gram Panchayat Level Federation Mission Shakti workers and Biju Shramik Samukhya Sangha staged a protest over non-payment of salary.

They said despite their repeated efforts and petitions, the Odisha government had “failed” to pay their salaries for the last nine months.

“Despite our repeated requests, we did not receive any money. We are working like daily-wage labourers,” said a protester.