The Pioneer, 5th May, 2009
PNS Bhawanipatna
With the celebration of Labour Day on May 1, the Rickshaw Pullers’ Welfare Society of Bhawanipatna staged a demonstration before the Kalahandi Collectorate, seeking redressal of their grievances. A memorandum containing a six-point charter of demands was also submitted by the society to ADM Chudamani Seth. Most of the rickshaw pullers don’t have their own rickshaws and they have to pay half of their daily earnings to the owners towards hiring charges. So at least 500 rickshaws should be provided to the members of the society at the initial stage from the area development funds of Vedanta Alumina Limited, which operates its unit in the district, they urged. They also sought facilities under various insurance and pension schemes that would help them in old age. The rickshaw pullers, who carry children of local households to the English medium schools early morning, demanded that their children should also be given opportunity to be enrolled in the English medium schools either by the Government or by Vedanta. Even as the society has submitted a premium sum at the revenue section of the Collectorate for the lease of a piece of land, they are yet to be given the lease, they rued. Members of the society also urged for health insurance so that their lives can be saved as most of them are unable to meet medical expenses in case of their illness. Society president Sudhir Pattnaik, secretary Biranchi Chhatria, former municipality chairman Devi Prasad Mishra, Kirtan Naik, Ashweswar Bag, Pramod Pattnaik and Shankar Naik were among others present.
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