Police detain MNREGA union workers

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 31

Police today detained contract union activists working under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) schemes. They were protesting against the state government outside the Mini-secretariat. As per the information available, MNREGA contract union activists reached the main gate of the Mini-secretariat and staged a dharna against the state government.

After receiving information, police reached the spot and suggested that the union members stage a protest at Children’s Park. But they did not agree to it and continued their protest here only. Later, the police detained the protesters and took them to the Civil Lines police station. Till the filing of the report, they were not released.

ASI Narinder Kumar said they have detained MNGREA workers as they were protesting outside the Mini- secretariat despite section 144 of the CrPC being in force. He said talks were on with the union leaders and they would be released by night.

District president of the union Amrik Singh said for the last seven years, MNREGA workers have been working at low pay. He said many a time, they held a meeting with the Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Sikander Singh Maluka and other senior officials, but it failed to resolve the issue. Due to this, union members suspended work and protested outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

He said the panchayat department had given advertisement for filling vacant posts in the department, in which salaries have been kept high. He demanded that those working for the past seven years should be given regular jobs. Amrik Singh also warned that if the government did not heed their demands, then hey would intensify their stir.