Water board workers end stir in twin cities

Dharwad: The weeklong agitation by the Water Board outsourced workers ended on Monday with the protesting workers reporting to work.
Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil, who had mediated with the protesting workers, said the workers have decided to join their duties without any riders. They have been asked to report for duty as the contract workers of L&T, which has been assigned the task of drinking water supply in the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad.
The decision of the government to hand over the drinking water supply to a private firm had not gone well with the contract workers. They had demanded that the HDMP should employ them and depute them to L&T.
However, this demand was not acceptable to the government. An effort by Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) commissioner B Gopal Krishna to convince the striking workers to follow the government's direction had failed.
On Sunday, the striking workers took out march to Hubballi to stage a protest in front of chief minister Basavaraj Biommai’s residence however, they were prevented from moving further near Rayapur.
Nitesh had issued an ultimatum to the striking employees to report to L&T duty as contract workers and had warned them of consequences if they failed to do so.
On Monday, the employees after holding a meeting decided to fall in line and report for duty. At the same time, they said they will take a legal course and move the judiciary to get justice.
The DC said it is up to the employees to decide their course of action, but as of now they are back to duty. This would ensure proper and regular supply of drinking water in the twin cities .