Beedi workers deprived of pension, medical facilities

• No change in their plight despite change of government
• KCR promised beedi workers monthly pension of Rs.1,000 during polls

Karimnagar:They work hard to eke out their living. After putting in hard work for one full day, they manage to earn a mere Rs 100 per day. Despite change of governments both at the State and Central level, the elected representatives do not bother to solve the problems of the beedi workers. They are eagerly waiting for the Rs 1,000 pension announced by TRS president and Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao at the time of elections.

As they work with the beedi leaf every day, they also contact lung-related diseases. During every general election, the politicians promise to solve the problems of beedi workers. But once the elections are over, they forget about their promises. As a result, the problems of beedi workers remain unresolved for decades together.

Beedi workers live in Sircilla and Korutla in Karimnagar district. They are employed in private companies and draw meagre wages. The beedis made by them are exported to the neighbouring States like Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The innocent workers who are proficient in making beedis lack proper awareness on the schemes announced for their welfare by the Central and State governments.

Though the State government promised to provide pension to the beedi workers, it is yet to be implemented. The workers were also assured that scholarships would be provided for their children’s education. Every year, the beedi workers file applications for the scholarships, but after a long wait, they are informed that the funds have not been sanctioned.

Majority of beedi workers are illiterates. They are exploited by the middlemen. It is learnt that they pay around 10 per cent commission to the middlemen on securing the Provident Fund. As the workers are constantly involved in making beedis using tobacco, they are contacting several lung-related ailments including TB and cancer.

Earlier, in a measure aimed at extending medical facilities to beedi workers, the Union Labour department has set up hospitals which extended free services across the country. One such hospital was set up in the forest area and at a distance of 15 kilometres from Sircilla in Karimnagar district. The Telangana Congress leaders hastily organised a function in 2012 and got the hospital inaugurated by a Union Minister. However, the hospital does not have an own building and it is housed in a government school building. This is the only hospital set up for the beedi workers belonging to the two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The hospital lacks facilities to provide proper medicare to the workers. People of the surrounding villages are not aware of the existence of such a hospital in the forest area. One wonders how it would extend medical facilities to beedi workers representing two States. One staff nurse and a doctor appointed at the hospital are finding it difficult to commute to the place.

Though a gynaecologist was sanctioned to the hospital, no doctor was appointed as it lacked the basic facilities. According to the doctor employed at the hospital, the emergency cases are referred to private hospitals.

With the formation of new governments after a gap of 10 years both at the Centre and the State, the beedi workers are hoping that the ruling parties would solve their long-pending problems.