Mangalore: Karnataka State Beedi Workers Federation staged a protest and jail bharo programme in front of DC Office on July 26, Thursday against a move to stop scholarship, being provided to the children of beedi workers from class I to VIII.

Addressing the protestors, P Sanjeeva, president of SKBWF (AITUC) said that the Central government has decided to stop the scholarships given to the children of beedi workers with the reason that the RTE Act ensures free education to all the children. However, this decision should be withdrawn.

The government was providing scholarship to the children after collecting welfare from beedi workers. Workers had to compulsorily contribute Rs 6 for rolling every 1,000 beedies to the Labour Welfare Organization. Hence, the government has no right to stop the scholarship even if RTE Act ensures free education, he said.

He further said that scholarship was not paid by the government, but was in fact collected as tax from the beedi workers themselves.

B Shekar, treasurer said that the education in Government schools are free, and private education may have been subsidized, but the parents will have to pay for other expenses, like travel to school, books, stationary and others, he said.

They also demanded for a uniform minimum wage, BPL cards and ID cards, Rs. 1.5 lakh as financial assistance for construction of houses, health facilities and creation of Provident Funds for the workers.

Later the jail bharo programme was held as a part of protest.