Data-entry operators protest in front of revenue minister Bijayshree Routray's house in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 2: A group of 100 data entry operators working with the revenue department today demonstrated outside the residence of revenue minister Bijayshree Routray at Kharavela Nagar.

The protesters have been staging demonstrations at Lower PMG since August 18, demanding regularisation of their services.

Around 100 data entry operators in smaller groups managed to give a slip to police, who were keeping a watch on them at the dharna place at Lower PMG and assembled in front of the minister’s residence.

“We were appointed on contractual basis in 2006 at 306 tehsil offices across the state. Initially, we were hired for preparing land records, but later, we were roped in for digitalisation of land records. Besides, we have been rendering our service to various government initiatives, including e-governance and e-district projects. But, the state government has been ignoring us by not according the permanent status,” alleged Nrusingha Charan Nayak, president of the Odisha State Tahasil Data Entry Operators’ Association.

As many as 600 data entry operators are working in 317 tehsils across the state. An association member said they were unable to take care of their families with a monthly salary of Rs 5,200. The association members alleged that though in September 2013 the general administration department had promised to regularise 46,000 government employees working with various departments, the government was least bothered.

“Though we have been on agitation since August 18, the state government is not taking any action,” said the association’s general secretary Sangram Keshari Raut.

The police, however, said the protesters, who had staged demonstration in front of the minister’s residence, were not the association members, who had been sitting at Lower PMG. “Our men are keeping a watch on the protesters at Lower PMG, but some other members of the association assembled in front of the minister’s residence,” said a police official.