Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: Employees of the Rural Development Department, engaged under MGNREGA Scheme today called off their strike after the assurance given by the Minister for RDD, Abdul Haq Khan.
The employees working under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were on strike/ protest dharna for the last 18 days. They were demanding their regularization and enhancement of wages. MGNREGA Employees Association, Jammu Province president Sandeep Kalotra and Jan Mohd Provincial president from Kashmir Division said that strike has been called off after getting assurance from the Minister. The Government has given two months time to set up a committee to examine their issues and recommend to the Government.
A delegation of MGNREGA employees met the Minister of Rural Development Department and discussed their issues with the Minister, Kalotra said.
He said the employees are demanding as short terms demands i.e salary hike, yearly increments and long terms demands like job policy, with equal pay for equal work, and other benefits at par with the other Government employees.
The Minister directed the Commissioner/Secretary to Govt, Rural Development Department to constitute a committee of senior officers, which will examine all the issues of the MGNREGA employees and make its recommendations, Sandeep added.
The Government will examine these recommendations sympathetically, the minister has assured.
Kalotra said claimed if the Government failed to fulfill the demands within two months, they will again take to streets and resume agitation.
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