MGNREGA contractual employees protest

Excelsior Correspondent

Police detaining members of All Jammu and Kashmir MGNREGA Contractual Employees Union, who tried to march towards Civil Secretariat in Srinagar on Thursday.  -Excelsior/Amin War
Police detaining members of All Jammu and Kashmir MGNREGA Contractual Employees Union, who tried to march towards Civil Secretariat in Srinagar on Thursday. -Excelsior/Amin War

Srinagar, May 14: The contractual employees of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) today protested here demanding hike in salaries and absorption in newly created Community Development (CD) blocks.
Holding placards in their hands, protesters chanted slogans against Government’s lack of clear cut policy for contractual MGNREGA employees. They included programme officers, management information system operators, technical assistants and Gram Rozgar Sahayaks working under Government’s MGNREGA programme.
Spokesman of All Jammu and Kashmir MGNREGA Contractual Employees Union (JKMCEU), Ghulam Mustafa, in a statement said that it is a shame on Government that despite having higher degrees they are paid Rs 150 per day whereas a labourer who works on MGNREGA schemes draws Rs 164 per day under Minimum Wage Act.  He demanded their salaries should be enhanced and brought under Minimum Wage Act.
The protesters demanded to be absorbed in Rural Development Department and newly created CD blocks on permanent basis as there are thousands of vacant posts in these departments and they have requisite qualifications and experience, the protestors said.
“We will fight tooth and nail against Government’s insensitivity towards our genuine demands”, the spokesman said.