Implement GO 41, demand beedi workers

Implement GO 41, demand beedi workers
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Highlights

Demanding the government that they implement GO 41 that provides `1,000 as pension and scrapping of GO 727 which prescribes increasing the size of cancer picture on the beedi packet, hundreds of beedi workers from across the state alleged that the new policies of State and Central government was depriving them of their livelihood.

Pay pension, cut cancer pic size

Hyderabad: Demanding the government that they implement GO 41 that provides `1,000 as pension and scrapping of GO 727 which prescribes increasing the size of cancer picture on the beedi packet, hundreds of beedi workers from across the state alleged that the new policies of State and Central government was depriving them of their livelihood.

The beedi workers turned up in large numbers in the city for taking part in the Chalo Assembly on Monday in support of their demands. GO 727 prescribes increasing the size of cancer picture from the present 40 per cent to 85 per cent. Beedi workers argued that the TRS party had promised in the elections that they would provide `1,000 pension to all seven lakh beedi workers in the state.

"But, only 20 per cent workers are getting pension," they rued. M Saritha, a beedi worker said that earlier the government used to provide `1,000 to her and her mother-in-law but now the authorities have cut down her salary stating that `1,000 was being given to only one of the family members. She said that she gets `60 per day for 1,000 beedis she makes.

“We are not given enough work, not even 15 days in a month, which is affecting our livelihood. Earlier, we used to get `2,000 but now we are getting only half the amount,” said Saritha. Addressing the protesters at the Dharna Chowk at Indira Park, former MLC and The Hans India Editor Prof. K Nageshwar said that the TRS government in the state had come on assurance of providing pension to seven lakh workers.

He demanded the government that it should implement the promises made to the beedi workers. “Central government says that people are dying and were suffering with different diseases because of beedis and hence a picture of dead body is being printed on it. I want to ask whether beedi alone causes diseases and not cigarettes. Whether consuming cigarettes will help in getting vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates? Why don’t they prohibit the cigarette and liquor and illicit toddy,” said Nageshwar.

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