Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daiiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)

Udupi, Nov 6: Center of Indian Trade Unions members staged a protest to demanding settlement of ESI dues at Brahmagiri on Thursday, November 5.

P Vishwanath Rai addressing the protesters said that, private hospitals are avoiding to admit people as a 'cashless in-patient'. Hence, concerned department need to negotiate with hospitals to tackle the problems.He demanded to extend the dispensary working hours up to 6.30 evening in Udupi. "Nearly 5000 working employees are estimated in the Karkala taluk and many of them are engaged in small scale industries in places like Hebri Someshwar, Shivpur etc." Rai said.

The members of CITU are demanding to have a permanent ESI consultant at Udupi dispensary shops and pressurized to open ESI office at Kundapur premises. The government must issue permission for extending the ESI scheme for Kundapur taluk namely Koni, Basrur, Kandlur and Ampar regions.

District unit Communist Party of India (Marxist) members staged a separate protest on same day, in front of clock tower with eighteen various demands.

Balakrishna Shetty, secretary said that, the committee is pressurizing the State government to invite state CPI (M) committee members to hold an open interaction about their problems.

The demands are - The State government should take certain measures to prevent committing suicide by farmers, Revival of providing rice at Rs 1 per one kg per BPL family and also settlement of ESI dues in all private hospitals, availability of sand at cheap rate.

Balakrishna Shetty demanded the revival of Sugar factory rather than selling Sugar factory land. " State speaking in favour of beef and BJP favouring pork, the clashes between these people are misleading the people." Shetty added.