Members of the Hassan Pourakarmikara Hitarakshana Samiti have warned of pouring filth on themselves in protest if the State government did not provide them with houses.
Dandora Somu, Nagaraj Hettur and others of the samiti, on Monday told Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa that municipal workers had been demanding houses for the last 20 years. If the demand was not met soon, the workers would stage a protest by pouring filth on themselves to draw the government’s attention to their issue.
The activists stopped the Minister while he was going towards his vehicle after participating in the Republic Day programme. Submitting a memorandum to him, they alleged that the officials concerned had neglected their issue. Mr. Somu said, 92 municipal workers had no proper shelter in the city. “They have spent more than 20 years in small huts that are without proper ventilation. The officials concerned are least bothered about their demand,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The protesters alleged that the services of five people, who were working as municipal workers since 1983 in Hassan, had not been regularised. “The district administration has been delaying to regularise their service despite repeated appeals,” Mr. Hettur told the Minister. The Minister convinced the agitators by stating that he was aware of the issue and would direct the officials concerned to take appropriate steps in this regard.
Later,Mr. Somu told presspersons thatif the demands were not met within a month, then workers would pour filth on themselves in protest.