Pension grants: BJP corporators, workers intensify protest

Irked by the unresponsive attitude of the State Government towards fulfilling their demand, the BJP corporators and workers intensified their protest in Dharwad on Friday.

The corporators who gathered in front of the HDMC office raised slogans against the State Government and later picketed the HDMC office before staging a protest.

The protest which was led by corporators Shivu Hiremath, Vijayanand Shetty, Poorna Patil, Shankar Shelake and others, condemned the district in-charge minister for failing to keep up his promises.

They stated that the State Government is showing apathy towards the urban local bodies which are being ruled other than Congress. grants required for developmental activities too are being upheld.

The HDMC has been undergoing financial crunch to pay the pension of its retired employees, and time and again the government has been asked to release pending pension grants.

However, the government has remained indifferent to the problem and has continued to dodge the HDMC, they charged.

The government has to release pending pension grants to the tune of Rs 107 crore and this amount has been withheld from last several years.
Though, the BJP has been staging various kinds of protests, the district in-charge minister too has maintained silence and has failed to bring the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister, they rued.

If the government fails to release the pension grants in a week's time, the BJP corporators along with workers would begin indefinite protest, they warned.