Odisha Havildar-Sepoy-Constable Mahasangh Threatens Stir From Feb 8

Cuttack: Taking strong exception to the non-fulfillment of its six-point charter of demands, the Odisha Havildar-Sepoy-Constable Mahasangh on Wednesday gave an ultimatum to the state government to take a decision in this regard by 10 pm on Thursday, failing which it will resort to cease work across the state from Friday, February 8.

Briefing mediapersons here, president of the Mahasangh, Santosh Satpathy said as per the decision taken at a meeting of the Odisha Police Coordination Committee in the presence of members of the Mahasangh, Odisha Police Service Association (OPSA) and Odisha Police Association (OPA) in the afternoon, the havildars, sepoys and constables will join duty tomorrow wearing black badges, and later hand over the firearms to their concerned authorities in the evening as a mark of protest.

“If the state government fails to take any step in the fulfillment of the demands of the Mahasangh, there will be indefinite cease work from Friday. Nearly 72,000 members of the Mahasangh will join the cease work across the state,” Satpathy said.