Sarpanches, Panches begin hunger strike for release of PMGSY liabilities

Panches and Sarpanches sitting on hunger strike on Friday.
Panches and Sarpanches sitting on hunger strike on Friday.

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Dec 20: Demanding release of liabilities under MGNREGA, Panches and Sarpanches of District Udhampur today started a hunger strike in front of the Block Development Officer (BDO) Udhampur.
The hunger strike was led by Sansar Singh Jamwal, District President of all J&K Panchayat Conference, which is demanding release of 100 crore liabilities under the Centre’s flagship MGNERGA scheme.
“The poor labourers, including skilled and unskilled, have not been paid their meager wages for years together. It is highly unfortunate that the Government has become insensitive to the miseries of poor labourers,” they said and alleged that the successive Governments of the erstwhile J&K State and now the UT administration have been violating the MGNREGA guidelines with regard to the payment of wages to workers with “impunity”.
“The MGNREGA guidelines suggest that workers should be paid their wages within 15 days of the work done but the situation is quite grim in the UT where the workers who executed works from 2015 to March 2019 have not been paid their wages till date. This is the worst example of human rights violation,” said the leader of the AJKPC.
They were also demanding increase of salaries of Sarpanches from Rs 2500/- to 25000/- per month, implementation of 73rd Amendment Bill in Jammu and Kashmir, sanction Panchayat development funds of Rs 25 lakhs per annum for every Panchayat, construction of Panchayat Ghar in left over Panchayats and appointment of a Chowkidar in every Panchayat Ghar.
The hunger strike will continue up to December 30, 2019 in other Blocks of Udhampur District.
“If the Govt does not release the pending wages by ending December, then our Panchayat will start District level hunger strike. The Panchayat Conference will protest at Jammu on March 3.” They announced.
The Sarpanches of block Udhampur and Jaganoo, who are on hunger strike, include Parshotam Lal Gupta, Manmohan Raina, Krishan Singh, Madan Lal, Rattan Singh, Neelam Devi (Panch), Bodh Raj, Sureshta Devi, Sham Lal and others.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here