Contrary to some stereotype presumptions, the six Adivasi women who have been employed as service station attendants at the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC)-run petrol bunks at Kerameri and Tiryani mandal headquarters, have taken to the job like fish to water. Watching them function for a few minutes revealed that they are comfortable dispensing fuel and related tasks like swiping cards.
“We are quite at ease in this job,” Mesram Tukabai, a Raj Gond aboriginal from Chaupanguda in Kerameri mandal asserted, echoing her colleagues’ feeling too. Like her, Mesram Tirumala, a Pardhan tribal from Jhari and Madavi Anjali, an Ojha Adivasi from Keslaguda in the same mandal, working in the Kerameri bunk, find interacting with different kinds of people everyday an easy task.
Not out of place
The rural women do not feel out of place in the job apparently because of their upbringing. It goes to the credit of the ethnic communities that girls are raised in a free and unrestricted atmosphere.
“Yes, the women are doing a good job,” said GCC’s Utnoor divisional manager L.K. Ramanandam. “Our average sales are to the tune of an encouraging ₹2 lakh per day at both the filling stations,” he said.
“In addition to these two, bunks at Jainoor in KB Asifabad and Utnoor in Adilabad district will start soon. The aim of GCC is to provide employment to tribal youth who have passed SSC,” the divisional manager said.
Call for salary hike
Each of the bunks has three male attendants mostly working in the night, and three women working in the day on a salary of ₹ 6,000 per month. “The GCC should increase the salary as this is not sufficient to take care of our families,” Ms. Tirumala who, like her co-workers is married and has children to look after, appealed.
“We will hike the salary once we register increased sales. The corporation should reap benefits before the increase,” assured Mr. Ramanandam.
