While the general secretary of the Dharwad District Autorickshaw Drivers Association began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation office here on Thursday seeking allotment of Ashraya houses, autorickshaw drivers and beedi workers launched a relay protest at the same venue.
Over 300 members of the association and the Beedi Workers Welfare Organisation led by office- bearers Babajan Mudhol, Devanand Jagapur, and B.A. Mudhol took out a protest march from A.J. Mudhol Bhavan at Myadar Oni to the HDMC premises.
Then, the protesters staged a dharna demanding steps for fulfilment of their demands. Venting their anger against the municipal administration and the State government, they shouted slogans like ‘Hamaari mangi puri karo, nahi tho CM kursi khali karo’.
Mr. Devanand Jagapur, general secretary of the association, said that he was forced to launch the strike as concrete steps had not been taken to meet their long-pending demands.
The main demands of the associations are construction of 400 sq ft. area houses similar to the Shiggaon model at Yallapura village on the outskirts of Hubballi; transparent mechanism to select beneficiaries; constitution of an advisory committee comprising elected representatives; and construction of houses for auto drivers in the limits of Hubballi Dharwad Central and Dharwad Assembly constituencies. Representatives of other organisations and political leaders including N.A. Khaji, B.S. Soppin, and Rajashekhar Menasinakai met the protesters and expressed solidarity with them. Although Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary Anwar Mudhol met the protesters to convey a message from the local MLA and the district-in-charge Minister, they declined to withdraw their protest. Mr. Devanand Jagapur said that 25 members each from both the organisations would take part in a relay dharna on Friday while he would continue his fast till the demands were met.
