The Hindu : Karnataka News : Jewellers take exception to police inquiries on gold purchase

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Jewellers take exception to police inquiries on gold purchase

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI, DEC. 7. Members of the Karnataka State Gold and Silver Workers Federation on Tuesday took exception to police inquiring into purchase of gold and silver by them on the presumption that they were stolen material, saying it amounted to harassment of traders.

Office

The State Federation, at its recent meeting in Bangalore, had decided to establish a central office in Bangalore and all districts, where details regarding all forms of purchase of gold and silver would be made available in a register.

The police could seek such details from the offices, instead of calling up individuals for investigation, R.B. Ravi, Director of the State Federation from Kodagu, told presspersons here. It was difficult for them to ascertain the antecedents of a seller.

Mr. Ravi said efforts were on to constitute a district body of the federation soon. Majority of the gold and silver workers were without shelter and lived under poor conditions.

The Government should provide them with Ashraya houses, he said.

He said the Government had been urged to provide credit cards to the workers, on the lines of the system in Andhra Pradesh, and financial and medical facilities to poor workers and their family members. A memorandum had been submitted to the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, Mr. Ravi said.

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