Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Jul 9: MESCOM meter readers in Bantwal and Beltangady taluks held protests in front of B C Road MESCOM office on Thursday alleging that the organisation is planning to assign a contract of meter reading and making meter readers work for very less salary. They also urged for the release of salary held back by the organization.

Dakshina Kannada district Dalit Seva Samithi district president B K Sesappa Bedrakadu said that MLAs and MPs are assuring to fulfil all the demands of meter readers during elections but do nothing after winning. “They have plans to reduce the salary of meter readers instead of an earlier contract. The company has also held back the old salary dues,” he alleged.

“We will not hand over meter reading machines until our demands are met. We will hold large scale protests if the organization does not relent,” he warned. A memorandum was submitted through the executive engineer urging to fulfil their demands.

Gopal Neralakatte, Jayaram Bantwal, Gopalakrishna Bantwal, Sadashiva Bantwal, Monappa Beltangady, Ramesh Beltangady and Udayakumar Vitla were present for the protest.