Electrical contractors stage protest

Urging for the fulfillment of various demands and to urge the government to sort out the issues with all escom companies, Members of Karnataka Rajya Paravanagi Padeda Vidyut Guttigedarara Okkoota Kodagu unit members staged a protest in Madikeri on Thursday.

They claimed that the local electricity contractors are deliberately being deprived of contracts and said that the contractors have been staging a stir from June 15, by calling off the work. They took out a protest rally and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

As the department is inviting tenders worth crores of rupees, the local contractors are not able to get any work, they said and urged the bifurcation of electricity and civil works. An additional 50 per cent should be paid on the SR rate, meant for emergency work and the payment must not be due beyond a week, the protestors said. 

The work related to Ganga Kalyana drinking water scheme, within Rs five lakh, should be assigned to local contractors, without inviting tenders. They demanded paying compensation to workers, who encounter accidents, while carrying out emergency work.