Chirala: Photographers demand support from government

Chirala: 'Smile please' is the common word for every photographer who wants to freeze the best moment of the life of the customer and make him happy. Those photographers now complain that the lockdown due to the Coronavirus has withered the smiles on their faces and demanding that the government extend the helping hand for them also.

The pandemic Coronavirus has hit the daily wage workers very hard. The unavailability of work and compulsion to stay home has forced them to go bankrupt. Many of the people are unable to pay even the house rents and are borrowing money from the lenders on high interests. The photographers and videographers are also part of the suffering lot as they lost work in the regular season as the marriages and functions are indefinitely called off.

To bring their issues to the notice of the government, the photographers and videographers welfare associations in the state called for a strike and protest on Monday.

The president of the Ksheerapuri Chayachirasaala Welfare Association, Chirala Katakam Sivaprasad, vice president Mallikharjuna Rao, secretary Ali, treasurer Shaik Mastan Vali, members Shaik Basha, Meesala Srinivasa Rao, Upendra, Kishore, Buchaiah, Rajesh, Sekhar, Srinu and others protested in front of their studios and said that they are worried about the future as they have no income for months and unable to pay the rents.

They said that most of they are into depression and require immediate financial support from the government. They demanded that the government establish a system to support them as it already supporting the tailors, auto drivers, washermen, weavers, etc. They asked the government to extend the Jagananna Cheyutha type scheme to them also to provide monetary help and offer interest-free loans to them.