Beedi workers stage statewide protest demanding revised minimum wages

May 18, 2012

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Mangalore/Udupi, May 18: Members of Karnataka State Beedi Workers' Federation on Thursday staged a state-wide protest including in Mangalore and Udupi demanding final notification of revised minimum wages to beedi workers.

Addressing protesters in front of the office of the Assistant Labour Commissioner of Mangalore Region at Kankanady, Federation president B. Madhava said that beedi workers would stop working if the State Government did not publish the gazette notification on the revised minimum wages for workers in the sector within the next seven days.

Mr. Madhava said that a committee appointed by the Government in its meeting on March 8, had resolved to revise the minimum wages for workers for rolling 1,000 beedis to Rs. 106.

It had also resolved to increase the dearness allowance of workers to three paisa per point if the consumer price index went up above 4,284 points.

Accordingly, beedi workers should get Rs. 116.20 including dearness allowance for rolling 1,000 beedis from April 1, 2012.

But owners of beedi companies had not implemented the revised scale stating that the Government had not issued a gazette notification on the revision.

He said the Government had constituted the committee under Section 5 (1) (A) of Minimum Wages Act. It had representatives from the government, workers' unions, and beedi companies.

Mr. Madhava said that the workers would intensify the agitation if the government ignored their demand.

Udupi

In Udupi the protest was held in front of the taluk office. Federation general secretary Ramesh Mendon told presspersons that the Government had agreed to revise the minimum wages for beedi workers to Rs. 116.20 for every 1,000 beedis after trilateral talks between the representatives of beedi firm owners, beedi workers, and the Government.

Nearly 10 lakh beedi workers in the State were expecting the final notification on the revised minimum wages, which were to come to effect on April 1, 2012.

But the Labour Department did not issue the final notification. With the result, the revised minimum wages had not come into force. This was grave injustice to beedi workers.

The Labour Department had shown lack of concern to beedi workers. These beedi workers tied beedis, despite the impact they had on their health, just to eke out a livelihood. The Labour Department had been inhuman in dealing with this issue.

The department wanted to protect the interests of a few owners of beedi firms by its inaction.

The Labour Department should immediately notify the revised minimum wages and make it effective from April 1, Mr. Mendon said.

Federation leaders P. Vishwanath Rai, Dogu Suvarna, Vittal Poojary, K. Lakshman, Indira Kukkikatte, Pushpa M., Revathi Majoor, Indira Kaup, and Prema were present.

The protestors later submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister at the taluk office.

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Karnataka announces Rs 10K relief to flood-hit families, Rs 5 lakh for damaged houses

News Network

August 7,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 7: The Karnataka government would provide Rs 10,000 immediate relief to families affected by heavy rains and flooding in districts across coastal, central and southern areas of the state, an official said on Thursday.

"Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has directed all the Deputy Commissioners in the rain-cum-flood-hit districts to provide Rs 10,000 interim relief to the affected families and Rs 5 lakh to those whose houses were completely damaged in the natural disaster," a Revenue Department official told media persons here.

As the south-west monsoon advanced and intensified, heavy and widespread rains with gusty winds have been lashing 12 of the 30 districts across the state, wreaking havoc and disrupting normal life due to flooding, landslides, lakes and ponds overflowing, and rivers and their tributaries in the spate.

"The Chief Minister also instructed the officials to make use schools, colleges and public places as relief centres to shelter the rain-cum-flood-hit families, as hostels and community halls have been converted into Covid care centres in the affected districts," said the official.

The affected districts have also been advised to conduct a survey of crop loss suffered by farmers for compensation under the centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Weather Based Crop Insurance Schemes.

Deputy Commissioners have been told to take preventive measures to protect and provide relief to the people from heavy rains, floods and landslides in the affected districts.

"Yediyurappa also directed ministers in-charge of the districts to remain in their constituency and visit the affected areas to assess damage caused by the rains and flash floods for compensation and relief aid," noted the official.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday announced Rs 50 crore for rescue and relief operations in the affected districts across the state.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has issued a red alert on heavy rains in the affected districts of Kodagu, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada in the coastal region and in Shivamoga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Haveri in the Malnad region.

"Bagamandala in Kodagu district where Cauvery river springs near Talakaveri received a whopping 486 mm rain during the last 24 hours, causing flash floods and disrupting normal life as offices, shops and eateries remained shut and public transport was affected," added the official.

The water-level in Cauvery and Lakshmanatheertha is flowing at high level while the Sayi layout and Kuvempu layout Kushalnagar is inundated and the affected residents were shifted to safer location.

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Case against Shobha Karandlaje in Kerala over communal tweet

News Network

January 24,2020

Newsroom, Jan 24: BJP leader and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje has been booked by Kerala police over a misleading and communally provocative social media post.

Karandlaje had tweeted that that Hindus from a colony in Kuttipuram in Malappuram district were denied water supply as they supported the the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

"Kerala is taking baby steps to become another Kashmir. Hindus of Kuttipuram Panchayat of Malappuram was denied water supply as they supported #CAA2019. #SevaBharati has been supplying water ever since. Will Lutyens telecast this intolerance of PEACEFULS frm God's Own Country!?," she tweeted.

A case has been booked under section 153(A) of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race etc). Karandlaje took to Twitter to slam the Kerala government, and said it had lodged a complaint against her instead of acting against the discrimination faced by dalit families of Cherukunnu.

"It is high time the society unites against these pressure tactics of a non-performing, biased left government," she said.

Karandlaje claimed that the CAA had been accepted by both houses of Parliament and people supporting the Act were facing boycott in business and were being denied basic amenities and jobs. "The CPI(M) government is blind to all these incidents across Kerala, but files a case against me for speaking the truth!" she retorted.

According to reportage from multiple outlets, the colony in Malappuram district's Kuttippuram was dependent on a private individual for water; then came accusations that they were denied the water for attending BJP's pro-CAA rally.

A resident of the colony was quoted by a newspaper, “We were denied drinking water because our husbands participated in a meeting organised to gather support for the CAA. Some people told the family that they should not give drinking water to us because CAA is a threat to the people in their community.”

However, the individual in question denied the accusation, claiming a lack of water because of technical issues.

The case was registered after a complaint by lawyer Subhash Chandran, a resident of Malappuram. Aravindan E.A., SI of Kuttippuram police, said, "From a private person's borewell, water was being provided to the people of the colony. This motor had taken for agricultural work and he was recently issued a warning by State Electricity Board. He was told that if he uses the motor for any other purpose, power supply would be disconnected. He then had stopped using the pump following the crisis worsened.”

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This is BJP's usual drama. If your bloody seva bharathi people denied water, there is strong govt and youths to provide water. and other facilities

Sobhakka's adhika prasanga wont work in kerala. She should visit kerala and experience. She can only boast via social media

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BSY supports lockdown extension, endorses PM's seven-point strategy

News Network

April 14,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 14: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to extend COVID-19 lockdown till May 3.

"Our government will strictly implement the Government of India guidelines, which will be issued tomorrow. Lockdown will be followed more stringently till April 20 as Prime Minister said and the situation will be closely monitored. I appeal to the people of Karnataka to voluntarily cooperate with us to contain this disease," Yediyurappa said.

The chief minister urged the people to respect seven major points that Prime Minister Modi raised in his televised address to the nation on Tuesday, while announcing the extension of coronavirus-induced lockdown.

"I appeal to people to follow the seven measures Prime Minister advised to follow, such as taking care of elders in the house especially those suffering from chronicle illness; strictly maintaining social distancing; enhancing immunity by following guidelines of Ayush Department; download Arogyasetu app; help the poor and needy; to be considerate about your colleagues and employees and not to sack them; and respect the police, healthcare professionals," Yediyurappa added.

The chief minister also assured that there is no scarcity of medicines, essential services and goods.

"We will make all efforts to carry out agriculture activities without any hurdle. I make a special appeal to migrant labours to stay wherever they are and be safe... Stay home and be safe," he said.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 247 COVID-19 positive cases in Karnataka including 59 cured, discharged, migrated and six deaths.

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