Hyderabad, January 17: The Muslim washermen though included under reserved category are deprived of concessions and benefits. There are more than 5000 families of Muslim washermen only in Hyderabad. Far from giving them facilities they are facing great difficulty in getting BC (E) certificate which is compulsory for getting facilities.
Their children are also deprived of educational opportunities and jobs.
Their organization Rajka Muslim Washermen Welfare Association chairman Mohammad Qasim and president Mohammad Hameed told that reservation to Muslim washermen are limited only to paper work. We are there itself, where we were before being included in reserved category.
Today there are 55 dhobi ghats for non Muslim washermen while there are only 9 for Muslim washermen.
Washermen were promised to be given houses but the promise is not fulfilled yet. They are deprived of employments also. They told that their dhobi ghats are 200 years old.
They asked that the government to provide soda, soap, bleaching powder, nil powder, sagodana powder and coal on subsidy, keeping in view of their profession, as was done during Indira Gandhi rule.
Siasat news