Worker dries vermicelli in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, loses job

Pictures of vermicelli being dried on the grand steps went viral on social media and made way for a lot of discussion on the underutilisation of the Vidhana Soudha

Demand to shift prominent secretariat-level government offices to the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha not being met has resulted in the workers deployed for its upkeep using it as per their convenience.

An incident of the grand steps of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha constructed at a cost of over Rs 400 crore being utilised for sun-drying vermicelli (shyavige) came to the fore on Tuesday leaving the people shocked.

Pictures of vermicelli being dried on the grand steps went viral on social media and made way for a lot of discussion on the underutilisation of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.

Ever since the State’s second secretariat was inaugurated, there has been a demand for shifting prominent secretariat-level government offices to its premises to make it a power centre. Lamentably, successive governments failed to meet the demand.

Around a year ago, some district-level offices that had been functioning in rented buildings were shifted to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha which made it appear like Mini Vidhana Soudha.

The only State-level office functioning here is the Information Commissioner’s Office.

As State-level offices have not been shifted and movement of people to the district-level offices to is a minimum, innocent labourers deployed for upkeep are using the premises as per their convenience.

A woman labourer identified as Mallavva working on a daily wage basis on the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha had purchased vermicelli in large quantities to meet the requirements of her family. As the food product was yet to be dried up completely, Mallavva, unaware of the importance of the building, spread a towel on the grand steps of the
State’s second secretariat and kept the vermicelli for drying. The bag in which she had brought the vermicelli too was seen spread near the sun-drying vermicelli.

Public Works Department Assistant Executive Engineer S L Bhimnayak informed DH that as soon as the incident came to his notice, he rushed to the spot and asked the labourer to take off the vermicelli from the steps. She was also relieved from work.