Berhampur, Jan. 27: Over 500 contractual and casual staff of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation have launched an indefinite cease work agitation today, demanding regularisation of their services and an interim special allowance of Rs 1,200 per month till regularisation.

“We have informed the municipal commissioner and Ganjam district collector about our demand to regularise our services. But the authorities did not pay any heed to us. We also set the deadline to launch the cease work agitation and intimated the authorities earlier. We are now compelled to go for agitation as the authorities have lent a deaf ear to our demand,” said Gangadhar Mishra, secretary of the DLR Association.

“The casual and contractual staff of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation are getting a payment of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 per month, which is very meagre by all standards,” said Mishra.