Complaining that since the last two academic year the students’ scholarship of the Beedi workers children had not been released, the District Beedi Workers Association members staged a protest march, here on Thursday.

The scholarship should be given compulsorily every year in the month of June itself to the Beedi workers children. Also stringent action should be taken against the owners or contractors who refuse to sign and put a seal on the application forms, urged the protesters.

Apart from this  a racket where fake seals and signatures are being done should be unearthed and they should be sent out of the City, they demanded.

The beedi workers lay siege to the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund dispensary coming under the Central labour department  and condemned the government’s stand.

Beedi Workers District Association general secretary Syed Mujeeb said that action should be taken against a few beedi owners and contractors who after getting the work done by the beedi workers do not give identity card and refused to sign the application forms.

In a few schools and colleges the students’ scholarship cut is between Rs 100 and Rs 300. The persons concerned should look into this, he urged the officials.

Students scholarship department convener Inayatulla said if the scholarship is available to the students in the beginning of the academic year then it will benefit the students. The government should view this very seriously, he added.

A few chiefs in the schools and colleges are not giving importance to the students scholarships by sending the application to the commissioners concerned. As a result the poor students have been deprived of scholarship, he alleged.

Labour leaders N K Subramanya, Pavan Gangadhar, Jayamma, Lakshmikanth, Jayakumar, Ustad alias Sardar Rafiq and others participated in the protest. Chief Medical officer Dr Gangadhar received the memorandum and promised to take suitable action.