Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar's 'Vikas Karyon ki Samiksha Yatra', a state-wide tour to review the implementation of development schemes starting December 12 from Bettiah in West Champaran, faces the threat of being disrupted by contract employees (working with the government) agitating for "equal pay for equal work".

Intelligence agencies have alerted the police and state administration about associations of differe t categories of contract workers, including those working in the health sector and teachers, could stage demonstrations or even disrupt the tour programme, which intends to cover almost all 38 districts.

The alert also includes backgrounds of incidents of stone-pelting, slipper throwing and waving of black flags during Nitish's similar yatras between 2011 and 2014. It has also cautioned the police and the state administration about recurrence of similar incidents.

Back then, contract teachers, numbering around 4 lakh and working in government schools, had led the agitation, seeking pay scale-based salary instead of fixed amount per month. Later, the chief minister had accepted their demands.

Additional director-general (police headquarters) S.K. Singhal confirmed receiving an alert with regard to the chief minister's tour. He said everything was being reviewed and arrangements were being made according to requirements of different districts.

"We are evaluating the ramifications of the intelligence alert. District magistrates and superintendents of police have also been asked to evaluate the situation. We have already taken preventive measures and orders for additional deployment of forces have been given to tackle any unforeseen circumstances," Singhal said.

The ADG added that the intelligence alert also cautions about Maoist activity in districts such as East Champaran, Sheohar and Sitamarhi and suitable action is being taken.

Another senior police official told The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity that "security will be a challenging task during the chief minister's tour this time as apart from agitating contract workers, Opposition parties will also be out to create disturbance."

Disturbances by Opposition parties were witnessed during Nitish's previous yatras too, and in a few instances RJD leaders were booked for creating trouble.

Nitish, during the first phase of "Vikas Karyon ki Samiksha Yatra" from December 12 to 16, will visit 10 villages in eight districts - West and East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Samastipur - to review the development schemes. He had visited these villages during his yatra in 2009.

Asked about the chances of contract workers creating disturbance during his tour, Nitish refused to get dragged into it and said: "In a democracy, everybody has a right to demand whatever he wants. I will not comment on this."

The chief minister, who is going to embark on his 11th yatra, also pointed out that the purpose of his tour was "to review development work and not the demands made by government servants. There are proper forums to review their demands at the state headquarter levels".