Bengaluru, Apr 28: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday demanded that the Karnataka government announce a "special package" for unorganised sector workers, street vendors and autorickshaw drivers, among others, all daily wagers whose lives are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. "..a special package needs to be announced to this section of people, this is the demand," Siddaramaiah, who is also Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, told reporters here.
Alleging that the government has failed to control the spread of coronavirus, he said it is the government's responsibility to take care of the basic needs of those from the unorganised sector, whose lives have been impacted by the lockdown. "It is the duty of the government and they should do it immediately. The package should also be announced. I will hold discussions with leaders of other opposition parties like JD(S), CPI, CPI(M) and BSP in this regard and also on trouble faced by farmers," he added. Alleging discrimination in supply of food packets and ration kits, Siddaramaiah said it was being supplied properly only in constituencies represented by BJP legislators.
"Politics is being played out in supply of food materials to the needy, keeping corporation elections in mind.... We don't want to do politics at this point in time as there is lockdown. If things continue to be the same after the lockdown ends, we will protest on the streets," he said.
Siddaramaiah on Tuesday interacted with representatives of auto rickshaw and cab drivers, street vendors, barbers, unorganised workers organisations, among others, to understand the difficulties faced by them during the lockdown and to know whether help from the government has reached them. He said most of them don't have work and it has become difficult for them to lead their normal lives.
They raised several issues like auto and cab drivers being unable to pay road tax and EMI, he said, adding that he would write a detailed letter to the Chief Minister in this regard The former Chief Minister pointed out that there is about 21 lakh registered organised workers, 1.32 crore lakh unorganised workers and also agriculture labourers in the state.
"Among organised workers only 12.5 of the 21 lakh are said to be getting Rs 2000, that too from the Employees Welfare Fund, while others could not get any money, citing reasons like they have not renewed it," he said.
On the other hand, unorganised sector workers don't get money and were also not getting proper food or ration kits, he alleged Though the labour department claimed that it was supplying one lakh food packets and 1.5 lakh ration kits, as also corporations, there were leakages and it was not reaching the beneficiaries properly, he said.
Comments
The chaddis will not hesitate to do any mischief... They will kill themselves and put the blame on others....as it happened in Bhatkal, where it was found that a Hindu auto driver placed a meat bag in the Nagabana to create trouble..... If they are saints, why they are carrying torch flames in their hands.....that speaks a lot of their intentions.......What do you say Naren and Riyadh Bopanna ??????/
dear hindhu brothers,
police will investigate and find the killer soon,
same will happen in mangalore also one hindhu bro murdered and sobha nalin are very active in protest against other religion
after our police caught the killer even he was also hindhu
i dont know where is nalin and sobha after that same as hidden file in mangalore .....
drama maker..
Now to shut this goons mouth police will start arresting innocent Muslim youths as usual.. Police should investigate it toughly and find out the real culprit.. May be someone inside his family did this as the same was happened before..
Police have to probe the case of this murder.
Noticed a new gimmick by Hindutva group that for any yatras of their these days they carry \Fire Torches\". What message they want to give?????"
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