Urging the state government to provide 50 days of additional work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), agricultural workers staged a protest in Dharwad taluk on Tuesday.
The demonstrations were staged under the aegis of Raitha Krishi Karamcharis Sangathan. While one demonstration was held in front of the district panchayat office in Dharwad by members of the Mughli unit of Sangatane, another demonstration was by members of the organization in Honnapur village of Dharwad taluk.
Addressing the protesters in Dharwad, the organization’s leader Deepa said that due to the adverse weather, the farmers’ produce has reduced and as a result, the farm workers have no work for their livelihood.
He said that the farm laborers are finding it extremely difficult to manage their families and fulfill the educational demands of their children. Therefore, the state government should provide them with an additional 50 days of work under MGNREGA, said Ms. Deepa.
He also said that the workers who were given employment under MGNREGA have not received their payment for a few months now. He said that the organization would urge the officers to release their wages at the earliest in view of the plight of the workers.
The office bearers of the organization Manjula Jagdali and Sridevi and others were present. Submitted a memorandum to the District Panchayat officials.
In the dharna held in Honnapur village in front of the Gram Panchayat office, the protesters demanded additional man-days under MNREGA. The office bearers of the organization leading the strike, Kempanna Khanapur, Mahanand Prakash, Geeta Kempanna Kumbar and others submitted a memorandum to the Panchayat Development Officer.