MGNREGA workers protest for regularization of job at Jalalabad
Ferozepur, January 22, 2017 : MGNREGA workers from all over the state continued their protest against the state government by holding state level rally at Jalalalabad – the constituency represented by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Dy.CM – for regularization of their services and criticized the government in strong words by shouting slogans.
Addressing the mammoth gathering of the workers, Amritpal Singh, State General Secretary said, the workers are performing their duties for the last 9 years under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on contractual basis on different jobs under Rural Development and Panchayat Department.
He said, despite a nod by the Cabinet to regularize 27,000 adhoc employees in the state, but the government is backing out from its own decision. The MGNREGA workers were recruited in a transparent manner and fulfill all legal requirements and there should be no hitch to regularize their services also.
He said, the future of such workers is dark but the government is misleading them by giving high hopes for the accomplishment of one’s aim during the elections and today’s state level rally at Jalalabad is to expose the anti-people policies of the government and to spoil the future of the youths.
Raising the issue of workers, he said, their wages should be linked with the inflation in the market and increased from time to time which is at present Rs.218 per day only apart from providing health insurance and medical facilities.
He further said that it is pertinent to mention that Election Commission Punjab has given approval to accept the demands of the employees during the imposition of model code of conduct.
Today’s expose of the Akali-BJP government is a warning to the coming governments as to how costly will be do injustice with the youths of Punjab and innocent people of Punjab.
Taking strongly the Punjab Government, MGNREGA Employees Union, State President Varinder Singh and Chairman, Punjab State Subordinate Federation Chairman Sajjan Singh said the model code of conduct is not applicable on the demands of the workers and instead of adopting the dilly-dallying attitude, their services be regularized under the provision of Act 2016 Regulation.
