Karmikara Sahayavani is lifeline for stranded Kannadigas outside Karnataka

Jaideep Shenoy | TNN | Apr 28, 2020, 00:30 IST

Launched by CM B S Yediyurappa in the presence of minister for labour Shivaram Hebbar, the helpline landed 250+ calls within 2 hours of its launch.

Launched by CM B S Yediyurappa in the presence of minister for labour Shivaram Hebbar, the helpline landed 25...Read More

MANGALURU: Hora Rajyagallali Dudiyuthiruva Karnataka Moolada Karmikara Sahayavanige Kare Madidakke Dhanayavada…. This recorded message greets one calling the helpline 080-22636800 that labour department launched for migrant labourers of Karnataka origin stranded outside on Monday. Launched by CM B S Yediyurappa in the presence of minister for labour Shivaram Hebbar, this helpline landed 250+ calls within 2 hours of its launch.
Manned by 150 personnel working 24x7 in three shifts of 50 each, the helpline uses a software to categorise nature of requests. At the end of each shift, the data is culled out and passed on to senior IAS officer heading the labour department, who in turn route the requests to their peers to act on. Since the helpline is a call centre, one cannot expect an immediate solution, but every call will be acted on in utmost sincerity, a person manning the helpline told TOI.
Mooted by minister for ports and fisheries and inland waterways Kota Shrinivas Poojari, the helpline is a touted as a contact point for labourers outside the state to tell their grievances to the government. Majority of the calls that the helpline received were from Pune and Mumbai and one of them was also from Delhi. A few calls that were requests for urgently required groceries was routed to the Anna Dasoha helpline, the call centre operator said.
Exact import of the helpline will be known after 24-hours. Functioning from Karmika Bhavan, Poojari told TOI that Kannadigas are in a piquant situation in other neighbouring states as well as other parts of India. This dedicated help line will enable the government to know about their whereabouts and draw up plans to ensure their wellbeing. “We can bring their plight to attention of authorities concerned and provide them much needed relief,” Poojari said.
P Mannivannan, labour secretary on this initiative said, “We have no numbers. That is why I started this helpline as per our minister's advice to know the spread and depth of the problems faced by the Karnataka labourers working outside Karnataka. In Goa itself we have more than 1.5 lakh Kannadigas." Poojari had initiated the idea of this helpline by writing a letter to the chief minister earlier last week and the same materialised on Monday.