From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
 
Bangalore, Jan 16: Vidhana Soudha, the stone architectural marvel built by late Kengal Hanumanthaiah, is the seat of power of the Government of Karnataka as it accommodates the both the houses of the State legislature, top bureaucrats as well as the chief minister and most other cabinet ministers and, of course, the secretariat staff, who help in running the wheels of governance.

But on Wednesday, the Vidhana Soudha witnessed an unusual sort of protest.

As many as 100 out of the 300 employees of the State legislative council secretariat or roughly a third of the staff, took out a peaceful procession on the corridors of the Vidhana Soudha and offered red roses to Council Secretary V Shreesh urging him to take steps to fulfil their long pending demands, including issuing of health cards.

The employees, who boycotted the work in the morning and staged a protest at the entrance of the Legislative Assembly hall (High Court side) for more than an hour, sought to press for their eight-point charter of long-standing demands by resorting to this unusual Gandhigiri.

Employees Holding placards and red roses, employees alleged they have been denied benefits provided to employees of the Legislative Assembly staff.

Karnataka Legislative Council Employees Association President H K Puttaswamy and other officers met Council Secretary Shreesh and submitted a memorandum urging early fulfilment of their demands.

The Secretary, who accepted the memorandum, said steps have been taken to issue Arogya Bhagya cards to employees. Cards would help employees to get in-patient treatment in government and other recognised private hospitals.

The list of demands included issuing of Arogya Bhagya (health) cards to employees, creation of more opportunities for promotions, distribution of uniforms to drivers and additional allowances for more than eight hour work, equal distribution of work to employees, opportunities for employees to go abroad along with council committee members, necessity of regular meeting between officers and lower grade employees to establish cordial ties, and constitution of a core committee comprising officials and lower grade staff to bring transparency in administration. Secretary has not been taking any interest to fulfill their demands.

The Assembly employees had been provided all benefits a year ago but the Council employees had been denied regular promotions and other perks, the employees alleged.

The Employees Association had given two petitions to the Secretary but he had shown step-motherly attitude towards demands of the council staff, Puttaswamy alleged and said the Secretary was not showing any interest in finding a solution to their problems or in meeting the demands.

The total strength of the council staff is 300 while the Assembly staff strength is 900.