Mysuru: Former Minister and BJP leader S.A. Ramdas has said that he will appeal to the Centre to declare Vishwakarma Jayanti as National Labourers Day.

He was speaking at the Labourers Day and Vishwakarma Jayanti celebrations organised by Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) at Shankarabharathi Kalyana Mantap here yesterday.

Stressing on the need for promoting the vocation of Vishwakarma community, Ramdas said it was important that the society recognises the vocational skills of the community.

Observing that it was most appropriate to celebrate National Labourers Day on Vishwakarma Jayanti, he said that Mysuru has taken the lead in appealing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

Underlining the need for Vishwakarma community to socially organise itself and enter the mainstream society, he said that the vocational jobs of the community such as sculpture, jewellery making, wood, bar bending works etc., are recognised globally.

Recalling that he worked for six  months after completing education, the former Minister said he knew the problems faced by the labour sector.

BMS State President Vishwanath Shetty in his address, said that fake labour unions were eating away the facilities extended by the Government to the labour class and it was the duty of every worker to ensure that such unions do not thrive.

Achievers of the community who have excelled in various fields- Shruti Yogiraj, Lakshminarayanachar, Jayateertha, N. Dakshinamurthy, Rajesh, Puttaswamachar, Siddachar, Jayakumar, Rajappa, Umapathi, Raghavendrachar, Puttachar, Puttaswamy, Subramanyachar, Cheluvaraju, Somashekar Raju and Krishnaiah were felicitated on the occasion. BMS District President T.V. Balakrishna, Hon. President H.S. Sadashiva, Secretary Shantakumar, Kalyanagiri Hospital CMO Dr. H.S. Prasanna and others were present.