Protest by MGNREGA workers enters Day 2

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 17

Members of the MGNREGA Workers’ Union staged a protest for the second consecutive day at the BDPO office near the grain market on Tuesday.

Accusing the government of not fulfilling their demands, a large number of protesters raised slogans against it. The protesters alleged that despite working under MGNREGA for the past many years, the government has not regularised their services. They said the government has been stalling their demand for regular jobs for a long time.

Kor Singh, president of the union, said, “If our genuine demand is not fulfilled, we will continue our struggle in future as well. The state government is not providing us work, which forced us to lodge a protest. Despite rendering our services diligently for the past many years, the government did not regularise our services. The BJP government has been adopting anti-labour policies ever since it came to power in 2014. Labour laws have been repealed to benefit big entrepreneurs.”

He said even payments of MNERGA workers had not been given in time and many were still waiting for their dues.