Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (GA) - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje

Mangalore, Nov 16:  More than 3,000 beedi workers participated in the protest rally organized by various organizations at Nehru Maidan here on Thursday November 16 morning.

The protestors demanded the administration to fulfill their various demands such as minimum wages to the workers, considering every beedi employee equal and bringing them under on national-level law, not to impose VAT on beedi industry, providing log books and identity card to every beedi employee etc.

They protested against considering beedi as machine-made product and charging higher rate of excise duty, unreasonable requirement of statutory warning on beedi packs which they claimed destroys beedi industry.

BMS president K Vishwanath Shetty, B K Krishnappa, Mohammad Rafi, Sadashiv Shetty, Kallaje Muralidhar Shetty, Gretta Rebello, Rachayya and others were also present on the occasion.

S Chandrappa delivered the keynote address.  Vasanth Yeyyadi welcomed the gathering while J Ibrahim proposed the vote of thanks.  Sitaram Berinje compered the programme.