Thousands of workers on strike, hampered ambulance services in Rajasthan

As a result of the strike call made by roughly 6,000 ambulance personnel, about 1,300 ambulances in Rajasthan were left stranded, disrupting health services all over the state.

Drivers and nursing staff with years of experience are among the members of the striking workforce who have taken to the streets of Jaipur to express their demands and complaints.

Their main demand is that the Rajasthan government, which is led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, convert their employment status to contractual posts and abolish the practise of using middlemen, or what is known as the ‘thekedar tradition.’

‘We have been subjected to exploitation for years. We implore the state government to acknowledge our plight and put an end to the ‘theka pratha’ (middleman system),’ one of the protesting ambulance drivers told India Today.

Another demonstrator highlighted the stark wage disparity within the system, stating, ‘The thekedaar receives 1 lakh 60 thousand rupees per ambulance per month, covering expenses like fuel and maintenance. However, the drivers are left with a paltry 8000 rupees as their monthly salary. The Gehlot government should address this issue and abolish the theka pratha.’

‘More than 1,300 ambulances of the 104 and 108 categories in Rajasthan have come to a standstill due to the strike initiated by approximately 6,000 personnel from various regions of the state,’ said Virendra Singh Shekhawat, president of the union that represents the protesting personnel. In Jaipur, they are currently protesting.

Protesters claim that the middlemen, or thekedaars, receive a sizeable monthly payment of Rs 1.6 lakh per ambulance, which includes costs for maintenance and gasoline.

In stark contrast, these middlemen pay the ambulance drivers a pitiful Rs 8,000 monthly income.

‘We urge the state government to consider our predicament, shift our employment to samvida (contractual) status, and eliminate the theka pratha. We have endured exploitation for too long. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the 104 and 108 ambulances that tirelessly served the people. We are committed to our strike until our demands are met,’ another ambulance driver said.