The allegedly “unsatisfactory” response of Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar has only prompted contract workers of electricity supply companies in the State under the Gram Vidyut Pratihindi Project, to continue their protest indefinitely until the government conceded their demands.
Mr. Shivakumar, who met the agitating workers on dharna near Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Thursday, assured them of looking into their demands and invited their leaders for talks.
Unconvinced with the response, the workers decided to continue their agitation till the government gave a concrete assurance on regularising their services and other demands, including equal pay for equal work.
The agitation has been launched under the banner of Karnataka Rajya Grameen Vidyut Pratinidhigala Okkoota.
Later, okkoota president Sharanappa Maikond said there were 3,699 GVPs serving on contract basis on an average monthly wage of Rs. 4000 for the past 13 years (since 2003) without any job security and service benefits. The GVPs were entrusted with the responsibility of meter reading, bill distribution, regularisation, billing, collection and credit control (including recovery of arrears) in gram panchayat areas of the State.
The okkoota had been agitating for the past several years and pleading the government to regularise their services, which was their main demand. But, only false assurances were given every time they launched an agitation. This time, the GVPs, who were facing hardships to cope up with the steep increase in the cost of living, had decided to take their struggle to logical end.
