New DelhI: Parliament Street has not seen such a huge sea of masses in the recent past as was seen on November 17 during the Shramik Maharally organised by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). Around two lakh BMS workers belonging to various affiliated unions and federations joined the Maharally at the Sansad March to reiterate their demands. Apart from pressing upon their regular demands related to the increase in income tax exemption limit, Government employee status to Anganwadi and other schemes’ workers, etc they demanded a paradigm shift in the economic policy of the Government of India.
Preparations for the massive Maharally were going on for over four months. Before the beginning of the rally at the Parliament Street, the workers started their march in huge groups from Ramlila Maidan, Ambedkar Bhavan in Paharganj and Teen Murti. All the marches converged into a massive rally at the Parliament Street which was addressed by BMS national president Shri CK Saji Narayanan, general secretary Shri Virjesh Upadhyay and other leaders. Interesting part of the rally was that the convergence of about two lakh workers at the heart of the National Capital city did not disturb the public life or business, as happens during all the such rallies. It seems to be the outcome of the discipline that the BMS has been able to inculcate in its workers during all these years.
Addressing the rally Shri CK Saji Narayanan stressed on holistic vision in governance. He said until there is change in the Government policies and vision their agitation would continue. BMS vice president Shri Jayanti Lal stressed on changes in the bureaucracy, advisors and policies of the Government.
After the rally, a high level BMS delegation called on the Union Finance Minister and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Labour Shri Arun Jaitley and submitted to him a memorandum consisting of the issues of 44 Federations. The Minister assured to look into the demands and take appropriate steps.
The prominent demands raised during the rally included representation of labourers and farmers in the NITI Ayog, making economic policy human-centric, generating more employment by promoting small scale, cottage and agro-based industries, equal pay, and regularisation of the service of contract workers. The workers also pressed upon stopping labour reforms detrimental to the interest of workers, filling in all posts in Government Departments and PSUs, enhancing and strictly implementing minimum wages in all sectors, enhancing the honorarium and providing social security to Aanganwadi, Asha, Mid-day-Meal and other schemes’ workers, stopping privatisation and disinvestment of PSUs, enhancing minimum pension to Rs. 3,000/- under EPS-95 and provide ESI facilities to the pensioners also and increasing Income Tax exemption limit to Rs. 5 lakh.
— Pramod Kumar
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