Bhubaneswar, Dec. 8: Six women Gaon Sathis - part-time workers appointed for the rural job scheme - today sneaked into the high-security area of Naveen Nivas and tried to set themselves on fire demanding a hike in allowance and job regularisation.

Security personnel, however, managed to nab them in time, and later, detained four of them.

The Gaon Sathis, whose role is to ensure proper implementation of the Centre-sponsored National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, have been demanding, among other things, a monthly allowance of Rs 4,500 and regularisation of jobs for the past few years.

In 2008, the state government had engaged two persons as Gaon Sathi at each village covered under the rural job scheme. They have been fighting for their demands under the banner of the Gaon Sathi Sangha Milita Kriyanusthan Committee.

Sources said the agitators reached Naveen's residence in autorickshaws to avoid being spotted by the security personnel.

Later, two of them doused themselves in kerosene and were about to light a match when the guards caught them.

This is not the first time when the Gaon Sathis attempted self-immolation in front of the chief minister's residence. In August, 12 of them had slipped through the security cordon in the area but were stopped in time. In February last, some of them had managed to sneak through twice. Their immolation bid was also foiled even at that time.

The Gaon Sathis have been agitating since November 20 at Lower PMG. "It has been more than six years since we were appointed, but we get a remuneration of only Rs 143 a day. We get paid only when we get any work. Otherwise we get nothing," said a demonstrator. Around 70,000 Gaon Sathis are working in the state.

Following the incident, security has been beefed up in the area. "We have detained four women and would review the security in and around the chief minister's residence," said a police official.

In another incident, members of the State Mahila Congress today engaged in a scuffle with police while they were staging a demonstration demanding a ban on liquor sale at Lower PMG. The incident took place when the women attempted to break the police barricade and rush towards the Assembly. However, no one was injured in the incident, but the cops detained several agitators.

"We demand the state government ban the sale of liquor as it has been done in Bihar," said Congress spokesperson Sulochana Das.