Bhubaneswar, Feb. 25: All public relation officers belonging to the Odisha Information Service Association today sat on a dharna, accusing the government of ignoring their demands for years together. The demands include upgrade of entry-level posts.

Not a press release was issued today either from the governor, chief minister or chief secretary’s office as all the four PROs attached to the high-profile offices joined the dharna. “We are the government’s propaganda machine. We are doing our best to take the government’s administrative and welfare measures to the people, but our demands have been given a short-shrift,” said an official.

Association president Surjya Ranjan Mohanty said: “Our demands include immediate upgrade of entry-level posts. The enhancement of base cadre to the level of class-II cadre can attract talents from various reputed mass communication institutes.”

The body also demanded the upgrade of district-level and equivalent posts to the junior class-I rank. “It will help avoid functional difficulties while working with other cadre officers in the district as well as the state headquarters.”

It demanded creation of 14 more posts of IO in state headquarters.

“Seven IO posts were there in 1971 when there were only 14 departments. Now, there are 39 departments and the workloads have been multiplied. But with the same staff strength, we are doing the same work,” said its general secretary, Chitta Ranjan Pati.

The association said its officers besides serving different departments are now also looking after the office of the Speaker, state election commissioner, human rights commission, Lokpal, chief secretary and many other important offices and statutory bodies as they have been continuously pressing for the services of its cadre officers.