MGNREGA employees launch indefinite strike

MGNREGA employees protesting in front of Press Club Jammu on Monday.
MGNREGA employees protesting in front of Press Club Jammu on Monday.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 11: All J&K MGNREGA Employees Association launched indefinite strike from today in support of their demands and warned to continue strike till the demands are met.
This was disclosed at a press conference here, today by provincial presidents of the Association from Jammu and Kashmir provinces, Sandeep Kalotra and Jan Mohammad respectively.
Kalotra said that MGNREGA employees have been working sincerely since 2007 in Rural Development Department (RDD) and they have been engaged through Recruitment Board under MGNREGA scheme but the department has failed to frame any job policy for them and though working for last 10 years they have not been regularized till date.
He said these employees are working as Technical Assistants, GRS, P.O, MIS Operator, Accountant Assistants, Social Coordinators etc but their future is totally dark as Government has not framed any policy on their regularization forcing them to go on strike from today.
He said despite the fact that MGNREGA staff is highly qualified, they are working on less wages than a skilled labour working under the same scheme in the same department and compared to other schemes run in the State like SSA, NHRM etc. The employees  working under these schemes are getting high salary than us with the result the MGNREGA employees are unable to bear their family expenses, he added.
He said that now Government has started job policy for all the 1,20,000 employees of the State ignoring the MGNREGA employees which is a cause of concern for MGNREGA employees as most of the employees among them have become over-aged and their career will be spoiled.
He said the Minister of Rural Development (RDD),  Panchayati Raj and Law & Justice, Abdul Haq Khan had promised that a job policy will be framed for the MGNREGA employees. Besides, 10 percent hike in the remuneration of contractual staff, focus on employment of women, grant of ex-gratia up to Rs five lakh to MGNREGA employee and contractual staff in the event of death during execution of work, Rs two lakh in the event of permanent disability and Rs 50,000 in case of partial disability and the department will pay all expenses for the treatment for the workers as per actual on the recommendation of Sate Employment Guarantee Council (SEGC), he added.
Kalotra said that the Council recommended framing of Grievances Redressal rules , Death Compensation rules and Unemployment Compensation rules etc but to no avail as the words of the Minister are yet to be followed in letter and spirit.
He said in view of the cold response shown by the Government to our demands the Association has decided to go on indefinite strike from today.
The Association has once again made appeal to Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and RDD Minister, Abdul Haq Khan to look into the demands.
Others who were present in the press conference included Satwant Singh, Parvez Ahmed, Rajinder Singh and Deepak Singh.
Later, the employees held a demonstration in front of Press Club in support of the demands.

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