Rahul Gandhi assures safai karmacharis of nation wide contract abolition

DHNS
April 8, 2018

Bengaluru, Apr 8: ICC president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised abolition of contractual employment of safai karamcharis all over India if his party came to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Rahul spent nearly 15 minutes interacting with a group of safai karamcharis - pourakarmikas as they are known in Karnataka - during the last day of his Janaarshirvada Yatra in Bengaluru.

"If we get to govern in Delhi, we will learn from Karnataka," Rahul said during the interaction after pourakarmika Oblesh told him that the state government was "probably the only Indian state to have abolished the contract system." Oblesh also told Rahul that Karnataka had increased their wages, which benefited nearly two lakh pourakarmikas.

Last year, Karnataka announced the abolition of the contract system for pourakarmikas, who are mostly Dalits, after the workers took to the streets demanding direct payment of wages. Before pourakarmikas were employed by garbage contractors and it was widely held that the contractors would siphon off the civic workers' wages. Pourakarmikas also alleged that contractors subjected them to bonded labour-like work conditions.

"The person doing the most difficult work should be rewarded the most. The problem in India, the person doing the most difficult work is not rewarded and the person doing the easiest work is rewarded. That's what the Congress party wants to change," Rahul said.

Another pourakarmika Jayamma, while hailing the government for having responded to their demands, pointed out that pourakarmikas were yet to be made permanent employees of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's municipal corporation. In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed Rahul that the government had started the process of making pourakarmikas permanent.

Before the interaction, which took place near Mantri Mall in Malleswaram, Rahul garlanded a nearby statue of his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

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News Network
January 8,2026

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Jubail: Team B-Human (Jubail Unit) hosted a special felicitation ceremony at the Muzain Campus to honour Mr. Zakariya Jokatte, an ad-hoc member of the organisation and a recipient of the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava Award.

The event brought together the leadership of Team B-Human along with the faculty and management of Al Muzain, celebrating Mr. Jokatte’s lifelong commitment to social service and his recognition by the Karnataka state government for outstanding contributions to society.

Several prominent community leaders and philanthropists were present on the occasion, who spoke highly of Mr. Jokatte’s humanitarian work and dedication to public welfare.

Addressing the gathering, Team B-Human Founder Asif Deals outlined the organisation’s core mission and values. He urged attendees to watch a documentary highlighting Zakariya Jokatte’s inspiring life journey and achievements, describing it as a source of motivation for the younger generation.

During the ceremony, the management and trustees presented tokens of appreciation to the awardee. A memento was also presented to Team B-Human HQ President, Adv. Zeeshan, in recognition of his leadership and continued guidance.

The event reflected strong collaboration with Team Muzain, with senior management members including Deepak (General Manager), Ritesh (Planning Manager), and Cherian Thomas (Finance Manager) in attendance.

The felicitation ceremony was graced by Chairman Shareef White Stone, Trustees Yunus Manipal, Shahul Hamid, and Bashir Al Falak, and Executive Members Iqbal Buntwal, Nazir Ullal, Ibba Bajpe, Sheriff Adoor, Salim Udupi, Muqthar (Shield Sensor), and Farooq (Port Way).

The programme concluded with a collective call to continue supporting humanitarian causes, echoing the spirit of “B-Human” across both Saudi Arabia and India.

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News Network
January 6,2026

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Bengaluru A 34-year-old software engineer from Mangaluru lost her life due to asphyxiation after a fire broke out in her apartment in Ramamurthy Nagar late on Saturday night.

The deceased has been identified as Sharmila, a native of Kavoor in Mangaluru. She had relocated to Bengaluru about a year ago in search of better career prospects and was residing in an apartment complex at Subramanya Layout.

The incident occurred around 11 pm when Sharmila was alone in the flat, as her roommate had travelled out of town for the weekend. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in one of the rooms. Within a short span, the apartment was filled with dense, toxic smoke.

As the flames spread, the power supply to the building was cut off, plunging the flat into darkness. Police believe that Sharmila, trapped inside the smoke-filled apartment and unable to find an exit or a source of ventilation, succumbed to smoke inhalation.

The fire caused extensive damage to household items, with beds, curtains and other furniture completely gutted. Personnel from the Ramamurthy Nagar police shifted the body for post-mortem examination, which has since been completed. The mortal remains were later handed over to her family.

A case has been registered, and the police have launched a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the suspected electrical failure.

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News Network
January 10,2026

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Beltangady, Jan 10: Traffic on the treacherous Charmadi Ghat came to an abrupt halt on Friday night after a wild elephant descended onto the roadway between the second and third hairpin bends, triggering over an hour of complete chaos.

The dramatic encounter unfolded around 9.45 p.m. when the elephant reportedly uprooted a tree and positioned itself squarely in the middle of the narrow ghat stretch, calmly feasting while motorists watched in fear. With the massive animal refusing to budge, a long queue of vehicles quickly formed on both sides of the road.

Several motorists cautiously attempted to drive the elephant back toward the forest, but the lone tusker remained unmoved, leaving travellers stranded deep inside the ghat section.

Eyewitnesses stated that the situation became even more distressing as the location had no mobile network connectivity, preventing stranded commuters from contacting authorities or alerting others about the danger ahead.

The standoff finally eased only after the elephant slowly retreated into the darkness of the forest, allowing trapped vehicles to inch forward and continue their journey.

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