Mangalore : Akhila Bharatha Karmika Sangha General Secretary Sudatta Jain  Shirthady  has said that the  organization would be staging an indefinite hunger strike in front of the ESI Hospital at Kadri Shivabagh  on August 19 after taking out a Padayatra from the DC office.

Speaking to reporters here he said  the ESI  Hospital services should be available to every eligible person and that all the discrepancies in the hospital must be set right. He said the Central Government should take full responsibility of running the Hospital as presently it is being run with the  87.5 per cent Central funds and 12.5 per cent state funds.

He said the hunger strike would be continued until the demands are fulfilled. Another demand is to ensure that female workers working in rural areas should be allowed to go home by 7 pm.

Harish Kumar Shetty Jakribettu, District Spokesperson, Naveenchandra Kolya, District General Secretary, Jagadish Maroli, Treasurer, Padmanabha Shetty Niddodi, District General Secretary and others were present at the press meet.