Mangaluru (DHNS): Pourakarmikas, working on a contract basis, postponed their decision of getting drenched from head to toe with a bucketful of sewage, following two-hour talks with MLA D Vedavyas Kamath on Friday.

“If our demands are not implemented within two days, we will pour sewage on us in front of MLA Vedavyas Kamath’s house,” said Padmanabha, who along with a few others, had threatened to dump sewage on themselves near the Kudroli wetwell on the fifth day of the indefinite protest launched by pourakarmikas.

Kamath told pourakarmikas that he supported their demands, including an increase in wages and being appointed as the permanent employees of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC).

He directed MCC commissioner Channa Basappa K to convene a meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter of increasing the wages of pourakarmikas.

He also promised to take a delegation of Pourakarmikas to meet the chief minister in his house in Bengaluru.

“On your behalf, I will even fall at the feet of CM to implement your demands,” he said.

He said due to their protest, thousands of people were facing many hardships. 

“Are you happy by disrupting the normal life of people? Your act is similar to a hospital’s ICU (Intensive Care Unit) staff going on strike,” he said.

The MLA also asked members to do a self-introspection on whether they had succeeded in fulfilling all the demands of members of their family. 

The pourakarmikas also complained that Antony Waste Handling Cell Private Limited (AWHCPL) was not worried about their safety and forced them to work without any safety equipment.

The wet wells do not have proper ladders. When some pourakarmikas protested, they were removed from their jobs.

The MLA directed AWHCPL to ensure the safety of pourakarmikas at their workplaces and not to terminate the services of those aged above 50 years.

Mayor Jayanand Anchan, Commissioner Channa Basappa K, Deputy Mayor Poornima, former mayors Premanand Shetty and presidents of MCC’s standing committees among others were present.