MRPL contract workers will get ₹5 lakh health insurance cover, says MP

The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has approved a proposal to provide ₹5 lakh health insurance cover to each contract employees covering his/her family members, said MP for Dakshina Kannada Capt. Brijesh Chowta, on Thursday.

The decision was taken at a meeting Capt. Chowta had with officials from the MRPL, district administration, and representatives of the MRPL contract employees’ union, at Praja Souda in Mangaluru.

Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty and Moodbidri MLA Umananth Kotian took part in the meeting.

In a statement, Capt. Chowta said a demand to provide health insurance cover to the contract employees was pending for the last eight years. After learning about it, he has been pursuing the matter with the company to get it approved.

He said the MRPL has agreed to provide separate washroom and restroom facilities for the women contract employees.

Earlier, in a press conference, president of MRPL MSEZ Guttige Karmikaru Boonirvasitaru Haagu Santrastara Horata Samiti president Satyajit Surathkal said, “The MRPL should address differences in the workplace environment between regular and contact employees. The contract employees should be provided with better job security and health benefits.”

Following the recent fire in an MRPL unit in which an employee died, the residents of Kalavaru area are living in fear as many houses suffered damage as a result of the blast caused by the fire. There should be 50% reservation for family members of landlosers and other Karnataka residents, he said.

The samiti will put these demands before the Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan on October 19. If no action is taken, the Samiti will be forced to launch an agitation, Mr. Surathkal said.