Patna, Dec. 19: There appears to be no immediate end in sight to the ongoing strike of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) employees as the agitation rolled into its fifth day on Monday.

The strike has cast a shadow on the upcoming Prakash Utsav as the tourism department is banking on the services of the BSTDC employees for providing facilities to tourists likely to visit Patna.

Apart from Prakash Utsav, the strike has caused the corporation losses of more than Rs 50 lakh so far with suspension of the BSTDC services and amenities across the state.

The strike has slammed brakes on services such as bookings for hotels run by BSTDC, services of Volvo buses on the Patna-Ranchi route, pre-paid taxi service at Patna airport, the floating restaurant MV Ganga Vihar, laser shows at Golghar, ropeway at Rajgir, sound, light and laser show at Maya Sarovar in Bodhgaya and wildlife package at Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bettiah among others.

Tourism minister Anita Devi said: "Of nine demands put forth by the association, six have been met."

The minister added: "We have accepted the demand that employees who have completed 10 years of service will be paid on the basis of 'equal pay equal work', one of the major demands. We hope their remaining demands will be worked out soon."

The association is demanding equal pay for equal work, regularisation of services of contract workers, revision of salaries, stop employees recruitment from outside and putting an end to privatisation of hotels.

Association spokesperson Ajay Kumar said: "Though the government has accepted our demand of equal pay for equal work, three of our other major demands are still to be met with. We will not end our strike until our demands are fulfilled," Ajay said, adding: "We will intensify our agitation from tomorrow and burn effigies of the government to put pressure on the government."