Hamalis overburdened with heavy vegetable bags in Karimnagar

Karimnagar: Mahatma Gandhi Wholesale Vegetable Market workers staged a dharna under CITU in front of Collectorate in Karimnagar on Sunday.

Later, CITU district secretary Bandari Shekhar spoke about the problems being faced by the hamali workers daily. He said, workers were unable to carry the vegetable bags as they are overweight ranging from 70kg and some even to 100kg. Due to this, the workers are facing from the severe kidney problems and even deaths.

The authorities have not been responding well even after urging them repeatedly to reduce the weights, he said.

He demanded officials to reduce the weight of the each vegetable bag and fix it to the range weighing between 40kg to 50kg. Workers have also been struggling to carry those bags due to the limited space of the market where vehicles pass by. He requested them to move Rythu Bazaar to the Karimnagar Agricultural Market which is more spacious when compared.

With this, he also stated that, every year workers are needed to be provided two pairs of clothes and should also be given the facility of insurance. He expressed his strong dissatisfaction due to lack of drinking water facilities in the market.

He strongly demanded the officials to address the above troublesome concerns immediately, if not, will call for a strike after 15 days, he said.

After dharna at the Collectorate, he issued the document of solicitation and strike notice to the District Joint Collector and then to the secretary of the market.

Vegetable Market Hamali Association general secretary of the Naveen Kumar, chief adviser Narasayya, Mallesham and others participated in the dharna.