Mangalore: It was the fourth day of public protest by ESI workers, against alleged mismanagement and ‘graft fever’ in district ESI hospital, conducted near DCO gates on Saturday.

Effigies of Mallikarjuna Kharge (Union Labour Minister) and K.N. Bachchegowda (state labour minister), and DK Deputy Commissioner Dr. N. S. Channappa Gowda, were burnt in protest near DC’s Office on May 5. There was a police watch.

General Secretary Sudath Jain of AB Karmika Sangha said that it was an indefinite fast since 4 days but no MLA or officials of MCC had visited the Satyagrahis on a fast, to listen to their grievances.

Employees were undergoing a lot of problems in the DK ESI hospital, such as shortage of medicines and doctors.

There is no rule to buy private medicines in shops at exorbitant costs. The money spent in medical shop had to be reimbursed in 3 months, but nothing was being done, Jain complained.

State vice-president of ABKS, G.M. Godkar and Secretary Jain are observing the Satyagraha fasting, since May 2 to clean up ESI mess.