Cuttack, Jan. 28: Excise officers across Odisha today launched a two-day relay hunger strike, intensifying their agitation over anomalies in pay structure.

The protesters wore black badges on duty and did not undertake any raid or investigation beyond working hours since January 14. From January 22, over 500 excise officers went on an indefinite strike demanding rectification of anomalies in pay structure of sub-inspectors of the state excise department.

“We have resorted to a two-day relay hunger strike in front of the excise commissioner’s office in Cuttack since our cease work agitation evoked no response from the government over the past week,” Odisha Excise Officers’ Association president Basant Kumar Sethy told The Telegraph.

“We will launch an indefinite hunger strike and intensify the agitation further from January 30 if the government continues with its indifference over the issue,” he said.