Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 25: A health department employee began protest by way of fast unto death seeking justice from the department opposite the offie of Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner here on Monday December 24 morning. However, based on assurance given by senior officials in the department, he withdrew his agitation within one and half hours.

H Venkataramana, who has been working in Sullia taluk primary health centre since the last 30 years on daily wage basis, was the person who resorted to this unique protest. He was accompanied by wife Laxmi, son, Kewalram, who happens to be a diploma student, and daughter, Devika, when he began his protest under hot son on Monday.

JD(S) leader, M B /sadashiva, who came to know about the protest, arrived on the spot and held talks with the officials of district administration After holding discussions with district health officer, Dr Ramakrishna Rao and holding talks with senior health department official, Katyayani, over phone, he said that the officials informed him that the department was facing certain technical glitches in implementing the high court order, and that the officials have promised to address all the issues and implement the order by December 30. Based on this assurance, Venkataramana withdrew his stir.

Venkataramana said that in spite of the high court order, the department has failed to disburse to him arrears of salary and emoluments and his services in the department have not been confirmed. He said he has been finding it very difficult to run his family and provide education to his children, which forced him to undertake this protest.

Venkataramana had joined for duty at Sullia primary health centre on March 21, 1988, as cook on daily wage basis. But without serving to him any notice, he was dismissed from service on July 18, 1996. As he fought this order in the high court, the department absorbed him into service in 1999, and paid him salary for 39 months. In 2016, the under secretary in the department of health and family welfare regularised his service through an order. Still, he had no been paid salary as a permanent employee of the department and other allowances. Venkataraana had filed suit in the high court seeking justice in 2017, praying for an order addressed to the deputy commissioner to recover balance wages of Rs 11.82 lac along with 18 percent interest per annum as per orders passed by deputy commissioner of labour. The high court, through a judgement delivered on June 20 this year, had asked the concerned to recover the said amount from the department within three days failing which the amount should be considered as revenue dues and be recovered through the tahsidar.

However, this order has not yet been implemented. M B Sadashiva said that the department has cited technical problems in implementing the said order, and that they have promised to disburse the amount within December 30. He said that if the department fails to act by then, he and his well wishers will join hands in the protest to recover the dues.