MYSORE: The State government’s ambitious Anna Bhagya scheme may have come as a blessing for many poor, but not for 6,000 hamalis and their dependents across the State as the ration is being lifted from Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns and supplied to fair price shops directly.
“This move has affected the hamalis in the godowns of Karnataka State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation and Taluk Agricultural Produce Cooperative Marketing Society, who earn their livelihood by loading and unloading the ration. In all, this move has affected 6,000 hamalis and their family members,” president of the Federation of Karnataka State Loading and Unloading Labourers Varadarajendra said.
“The Food and Civil Supply Department has said it has taken this decision to prevent the delay in transporting the ration to fair price shops,” he charged. Protesting this, the Federation has decided to launch an indefinite strike from July 8, he said.
Varadarajendra said that the hamalis are depending on wages by loading and unloading the ration from past three decades. Though they are living from their hard earned money, they are not being given statutory benefits as PF, ESI etc, he alleged.
He said Deputy Commissioner Palaiah, who is the principal employer as per law, did not consider giving statutory benefits to the workers, but asked police to provide security for wholesale distribution of ration from godowns to 388 fair price shops in the district fearing threat from the protesting workers.
Dr Lakshmi Narayana of Karnataka Janashakthi Sanghatane condemned the decision of department. The government is pushing hundreds of workers and their family members into street by snatching away their livelihood, he charged.
In an order issued on June 11, Harsha Gupta, Commissioner of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, directed officials to transport ration directly from FCI godowns to fair price shops to prevent delay in the distribution of ration under Anna Bhagya scheme.