Forty-five year old Padma (name changed) takes a break from her work, a road construction project near Yelahanka, to answer nature’s call at a nearby vacant site. Trying to escape the eyes of passers-by, she makes her way back to the construction site again. When asked what she is looking forward to from the upcoming elections, she says, the disappointment clear in her tone,: “Elections do not matter to me. Sure, I will cast my vote because I have promised my local leader in Raichur, but no government can truly relieve me from my hardships which include searching for vacant sites (at places where there are no bathrooms)”.
For Ms. Padma and a bunch of women working with her, the elections do not hold much meaning. “I started working in Bengaluru around 15 years ago. From then, till now, I have seen this city change. Not much has changed for me though. Our basic demands like good education for our children, free and safe drinking water facilities at all areas, and free treatment and medicines for our family members have not been met by any government,” chimed in Saroja (name changed), another construction worker.
These construction workers come from their hometowns to the bigger cities in search of better quality of life and facilities. However, most of the facilities are inaccessible to them due to red tape surrounding government schemes.
The workers complained that most times, they are not even aware of the schemes governments come out with.
“Until the pandemic, many workers did not even know that we were supposed to get money under the Labour Welfare Board scheme. Only during those times, we found out that the government has apportioned some money for us. We expect whoever comes to power next to reach out to the common people like us and tell us what schemes they have for us, so that we are at least aware,” said Mangala, a construction worker in Krishnarajapura.
Other demands of this sector include the issuance of labour kits to every worker, scholarships for children, and the facility to claim insurance quickly in case of accidents.
When an accident occurs, these workers said that they are not able to claim insurance through their labour card if they are not taken to a listed government hospital.
“When there is an accident on the site, our first priority is to save lives. The contractor also immediately sends us to the nearest hospital, even if it is private. The government should enforce rules under which we can claim our insurance at all hospitals,” said Nanjappa, another construction worker in the northern part of the city.
According to Karnataka State Building and Other Construction Federation general secretary K. Mahantesh, there are around 15,000 to 20,000 labourers in every constituency.
“There are thousands of labourers in every constituency and only 400 to 500 labour kits are being issued. This should not be the case. Similarly, when construction workers get into accidents, they are not able to claim their insurance through their labour card if the hospital they are taken to is not a listed government hospital. How can they look for such hospitals during an emergency?” Mr. Mahantesh said.
With workers often in different towns and cities, returning to their native constituencies to vote is a hassle if the contractors do not agree. “The government should announce that the construction workers should be given a holiday to vote and come back without loss of pay,” the workers demanded.
(This is the second part of a series on what people want - people from sectors whose voices are often unheard, and who are not on the top of priorities in votebank politics)
