Cuttack, Jan. 20: The Odisha Havildar, Sepoy and Constable Confederation today threatened to go on an indefinite protest from January 25.

However, it has deferred its decision to wear black badges between January 20 and January 24 following an assurance from the director general of police (DGP) on Monday.

The Mahasangha has served an ultimatum to the state government and said that it must accept their 15 demands, including a pay hike and revision of allowances by January 24.

The protest will pose problems for the state government in maintaining law and order, particularly in Cuttack and Baripada where civic polls are to be held on February 6.

Santosh Satpathy, president of Havildar, Constable and Sepoys Confederation, said that their members would not wear black badges from today as DGP Prakash Mishra has assured them that the state government would consider their demands shortly.

In view of the assurance, the association will not wear black badges between January 20 and January 24.

But if the demands were not met, the association, which has a membership of over 50,000, would have no option but to go on the agitation from January 25.

The association officials said that a memorandum seeking implementation of revised assured career progress scheme and other charter of demands was earlier submitted to Odisha government in August 2013.

The confederation is demanding for an enhancement of ex-gratia amount paid to the family members of the personnel killed in Naxalite violence from Rs 8 lakh to Rs one crore.

“Construction of government quarters and barracks on the basis of requirement are other demands,” said Panchanan Behera, general secretary of Havildar, Constable and Sepoys Confederation.

Behera said that the association was also demanding for motorcycle allowance of Rs 350 per month instead of Rs 75 paid towards cycle allowance for nearly 50,000 members including havildar, constables and sepoys posted in various parts of the state.

The retirement age of police personnel should be raised to 60 years instead of 58 years.

The other demands are construction of an Arakhi bhavan, payment of special allowances for havildar and constables working in the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, signal establishment and other battalions.