Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS/SB)

Mangalore, Oct 21: The members of Dakshina Kannada district unit of the ‘Gram Panchayat Employees Karnataka' under the aegis of Karnataka State Gram Panchayat Employees' Association, affiliated to Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a protest in front of the Zilla Panchayat office in Urva Store in the city on Thursday October 21 seeking fulfillment of their 10-point charter of demands.

Vasudev Ucchil, retired CDP, addressing the protestors demanded appointing 60% of employees who have passed their SSLC and worked for 10 years to the post of secretary grade II, and not through competitive examination. Each gram panchayat must get grant of Rs 25 lakh and recommendations made by Third Finance Commission should be implemented. The minimum wages for various categories of employees with the gram panchayat should be hiked, he added.

Yadav Shetty, president, district workers’ association urged that the age of retirement for gram panchayat employees should be raised to 60. Preference should be given to graduates who have served five-years while making appointments to the post of panchayat development officers. Separate grants should be earmarked to provide salary security to gram panchayat employees, he stresed.

Shetty further urged that all employees should be brought under the provident fund scheme as per November 1, 2008 order, and employees should be made permanent workers.