BANGALORE: Low-cost houses are passé for pourakarmikas. They want high quality houses that will last ages.

This was one of the demands made by the pourakarmikas at a convention organised by the Pourakarmikara Sanghagala Okkoota here on Wednesday.

The State Government and the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) planned to build 5,000 houses for the urban poor at a cost of Rs. 1.25 lakh a house under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). This will benefit the pourakarmikas, gangmen and gardeners working with the BMP.

"Give us houses that are built with quality material that may cost up to Rs 4.5 lakh. The apartment should not be more than three-storeyed and should have pillars so that it does not collapse after a few years. We do not want a housing quarters similar to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quarters that come crashing after a few years," M Subbarayadu, general secretary of the Okkoota, said. This apart, the members demanded higher wages, financial aid to unemployed youth of the community to set up their own business and increased education grants for the higher education of pourakarmikas' children.

A. Jayriem, president of the Okkoota, who submitted a memorandum to Housing Minister D.T. Jayakumar and BMP Commissioner K. Jairaj, said the members wanted 25 kg of rice at Rs. 3 a kg for those holding below poverty line ration cards

As part of the Suvarna Karnataka celebrations, the BMP should chalk out a "Health Yeshaswini" scheme for the workers.Mr. Jairaj, who assured the pourakarmikas that their demand for higher wages would be considered, said he had directed the Deputy Commissioner (Health) to ensure that the private garbage contractors paid them minimum wages as specified in the Labour Act.

Pointing out that all BMP employees were "one", the Commissioner advised them to work with the same determination and discipline for the proposed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

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