19,000 patwaris in Madhya Pradesh go on strike seeking higher pay, perks

Some 19,000 revenue department staffers called patwaris on Monday went on an indefinite strike seeking hike in salary and perks.

These patwaris oversee land mutation and caste certificate issuance processes.

"We returned our bags (having measuring tapes and land records) at the collectorates in the state between 11 am and 2 pm and went on strike. We protested in the tehsil headquarters barring Agar Malwa district, which was observing a local holiday," MP Patwari Sangh president Upendra Singh Baghel told PTI over phone from Sidhi district.

"Our pay scale has not been hiked for the last 25 years. The requisite to become patwaris in the revenue department is graduation now. We are getting a pay scale of Rs 2100, we want it to be hiked to Rs 2800," he said.

"Even the Class XII pass staffers are getting Rs 2800 in different departments of MP. We have to work for 52 departments, including revenue. Besides pay scale hike, we are demanding time pay scale and time bound promotion," he added.met, he said.

A patwari, on the condition of anonymity, told PTI the state government was giving "freebies" ahead of year-end polls but was unwilling to hike their salaries.