112 Helpline Employees Demand Wage Hike, Job Security

Bhubaneswar, April 27: Operations at the 112 Emergency Call Centre in Bhubaneswar came to a halt as nearly 180 employees staged a sit‑in protest outside Kaushal Bhavan, Mancheswar Industrial Area, demanding pending salaries and improved working conditions.

Workers alleged they have not received wages for the past five months, despite continuing to handle urgent calls for police, fire, and ambulance services.

The protestors submitted a 10‑point charter of demands, including timely salary disbursement, wage revision from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000, regular deposit of EPF and ESI contributions, job regularisation, reinstatement of dismissed staff, and an end to workplace harassment.

The call centre, operated by Oriental Security Service Company since 2022 under an outsourcing model, plays a crucial role in Odisha’s emergency response system.

The strike has raised concerns about the potential disruption of services across the state.

Several employees reportedly fell ill during the demonstration, while Mancheswar police maintained a presence to control the situation.

Protestors urged immediate government intervention to resolve the crisis.