Nava Karnataka Multipurpose Rehabilitation Workers (MRW), Village Rehabilitation Workers (VRW) and Urban Rehabilitation Workers (URW) Vikalachetanara Gouravadhana Karyakartara Sangha would stage indefinite protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on September 15 over various demands, including regularisation of their service.
Ambaji P. Meti, organising president of the Sangha addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Monday stated that Karnataka government, in 2007-08, had identified few physically challenged persons under the rehabilitation programme and had provided jobs for meager honorarium. Initially, we were paid just ₹750 a month for more than 10 years. In 2019-20 our honorarium has been revised, people working as Village Rehabilitation Workers are being paid ₹3000 and those working as Multipurpose Rehabilitation Workers are getting ₹6,000 a month.
Besides regularising the service, the government should appoint MRWs at newly announced panchayats and also appoint one URW at each ward in City Corporations across the State.
The funds reserved for physically challenged persons should be utilised to provide basic facilities for those MRW and VRWs working in taluk and gram panchayats, he added.