Gram panchayat workers staged a protest under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Gram Panchayat Noukarara Sangha in the city on Monday for fulfillment of their various demands.
Addressing the protest meet, Prashanth R., a functionary of the Sangha said that though the services of gram panchayat workers including revenue collectors, sweepers, watermen, and attenders have been regularised, they were not treated on par with the other government employees. Like other government employees, the earned leave and medical reimbursement facilities should be extended to them also, he said.
Demanding upward mobility in their careers, he said that the post of revenue collectors that have fallen vacant should be filled by promoting the watermen, sweepers and attenders on the basis of seniority.
Addressing the gathering, Bangarappa, another functionary of the Sangha, expressed displeasure that the salary was paid once in three or four months for the workers at present. He demanded payment of salary regularly.
The protesters raised slogans demanding the State government to direct the Panchayat Development Officers to maintain a service register of the Gram Panchayat workers serving under them.
The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the office of CEO of Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat in this regard.
