B.S. Yediyurappa

Bangalore: In a major policy decision, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyappa announced that the Government would retain the services of the 17,000-odd daily wage and contract employees in various departments.

Mr. Yediyurappa, who also holds the Finance portfolio made the statement while replying to P.G.R. Sindhia, Vatal Nagaraj, Araga Jnanendra, S.B. Patil, Vishveshvara Hegde Kageri, G.V. Srirama Reddy and M.T. Krishnappa who raised the issue during the Zero Hour. He said that the Government would come to the rescue of such employees on humanitarian grounds. The members had said that president of the Karnataka State Government Daily Wage Workers/Employees Federation K.S. Sharma had been fighting in the courts. The Supreme Court had not allowed their petition and they were facing removal.

The members said that thousands of employees working for periods ranging from 10 to 17 years and many of whom on the verge of retirement had come to Bangalore to stage a dharna demanding that they should not be removed from service. The Government should withdraw the circular issued by Chief Secretary B.K. Das a prelude to the removal of the 17,000 employees, who had been suffering as their wages were as low as Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,200 a month. They were also being denied leave and other statutory facilities.

Mr. Jnanendra said that most of them were drivers, Group D employees, second division assistants and cleaners and they could not find other jobs as they were overaged. The functioning of many a government office would come to a standstill if they were to be removed from service. Already many departments were facing shortage of staff. The Supreme Court judgment could be implemented in future and not for the employees who were on temporary service.

Mr. Sindhia said continuing them in service would cost only Rs. 65 crore and urged the Government to invite Mr. Sharma for a discussion and solve the problem in two months. Mr. Hegde, Mr. Reddy, Mr. Krishnappa reminded the Government that it had a social responsibility too. Mr. Patil was sore that the Government had not even implemented the Minimum Wages Act. The Deputy Chief Minister said amidst thumping of desks from the Opposition benches said that "on no occasion, the daily wagers and contract workers would be removed and they would be protected." Mr. Yediyurappa said that he would ask the Law Department to look into the circular and see that no worker was removed.

Seed subsidy

Mr. Yediyurappa and Minister for Agriculture Bandeppa Kashampur said there was no dearth of funds to provide subsidy for seeds as promised for the benefit of small and marginal farmers in the State. Efforts were on to create a revolving fund of Rs. 50 crore to provide fertilizer inputs to all farmers on time from the coming sowing season. Mr. Yediyurappa said that compared with the Rs. 52 crore allocated for seed subsidy last year, the Government had this year spent Rs. 64 crore. Funds would not be a constraint in meeting the requirement of seeds of small and marginal farmers. It was another matter that of the Rs. 52 crore allocated last year only Rs. 28 crore had been spent on the subsidy irrespective of the fact that the monsoon was quite active and spread over several months. Mr. Yediyurappa said while there would be no dearth of funds for providing seeds and also fertilizer inputs to the farmers, the members had to cooperate with the Government in preventing the misuse of the subsidy component. Referring to the revolving fund scheme for fertilizers, Mr. Kashempur said that while the Government would provide Rs. 12.50 crore, the Karnataka Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation would give an equal amount with the balance being the contribution of the Centre. Leader of the Opposition N. Dharam Singh, Mr. Srinivasa Gowda and S.S. Patil complained that contrary to the claims of the Government, there was a serious shortage of fertilizers and seeds in several parts of the State.

Mr. Yediyurappa said the Government would release Rs. 50 lakh to the Kannada Sahitya Parishat once it submitted details of expenditure for holding the All-India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Bidar in January 2006.

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