A large number of Karnataka Rajya Akshara Dasoha Naukarara Sangha members staged a protest here on Saturday, demanding, among other benefits, an increase in salary.
Malini Mesta, general secretary of the sangha, said Akshara Dasoha workers were getting a salary of nearly Rs. 1,000. She demanded that the salary be increased to Rs. 10,000. Ms. Mesta said that the services of midday meal workers should be regularised and they should be paid salary even during summer holidays.
She criticised the R. Govinda Committee report that has recommended merger of government schools with less than 30 students.
T. Lilavathi, vice-president of the sangha, said the success of the Akshara Dasoha programme was solely because of the efforts of the workers at the grassroots level. She lamented that though their work hours had increased, their salary had not been revised. The government should consider them as group D employees and provide them all benefits, she said. The protest was organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU). Earlier, Akshara Dasoha workers from across the State took out a rally from the Bangalore City Railway Station to Freedom Park.
S.R. Umashankar, Commissioner for Public Instruction, who received a memorandum from the protesters, said the government would look into their demands. He said a meeting of CITU representatives and officials concerned would be held to discuss the problems and arrive at solutions.
The sangha has planned a protest in New Delhi on November 26 and 27.