December 11th 2024.
In Bhubaneswar, a heated debate has erupted following accusations from both sides regarding the plight of thousands of women who have been protesting for their pending salaries. The Leader of the Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, had previously accused the BJP government of conspiring against the Mission Shakti staff, while Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida claimed that the previous BJD government had used women as a mere "vote bank".
As the issue was brought up in the Assembly, Parida, who is also the Minister for Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti, addressed the concerns and allegations during a debate. She clarified that Mission Shakti, which was launched in the state in 2001, aims to empower women through the promotion of Self Help Groups for various socio-economic activities.
Parida strongly denied the accusations made by the Leader of Opposition and stated that anyone who believes the BJP is conspiring against the women is only creating baseless rumors. She further criticized the previous BJD government for turning the Mission Shakti movement into a failure, comparing it to a polio-infected child.
The Deputy CM's statement came after opposition members expressed concern over the women who have been protesting for their pending salaries. These women, who belong to different categories of Mission Shakti supporting staff, have been sitting on a dharna for three days near the Assembly building and the Chief Minister's residence. Some of them even brought their children to the protest site.
The women have been demanding their pending salaries for the last six months, but the state government claims that their service period ended in April this year and the previous BJD government did not renew their services. Parida, however, clarified that the government is aware of their livelihood and has already taken measures to address their concerns.
The Deputy CM also criticized the previous government for not regularizing the service of these women six months ago, which has now led to their current plight. She urged the women not to be misled by anyone and assured them that the government is working towards resolving the issue.
Parida also clarified that the protesting women are not members of Mission Shakti, but supporting staff. She mentioned that those who have completed their 5-year term have already received their salaries, and the government has issued instructions to pay the pending salaries to those who have not completed their term.
The BJD members present in the Assembly, including RP Swain, Arun Kumar Sahoo, and Sujata Sahu, criticized the BJP government and accused them of conspiring against the Mission Shakti movement in the state. Congress leaders, Rama Chandra Kadam and Sofia Firdous, held both the BJD and BJP responsible for the plight of the women and urged the state government to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
In conclusion, the Deputy CM strongly condemned the previous government for using women as a mere vote bank and failing to promote their overall development. She also assured that the current government is working towards addressing the concerns of these protesting women and urged them to have faith in the government. The issue of pending salaries for the Mission Shakti staff has been a highly debated topic, and the state government is determined to resolve it in a timely manner.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
