Hundreds of MGNREGA workers led by AIKKS took out a rally starting from Gopinathpur to Hinjilicut Block office and staged a peaceful demonstration before the office in support of their 10-point charter of demands, said AIKKS leader Shankar Sahu.
Later, the workers submitted a memorandum to the district Collector and Chief Minister through BDO Prasanna Kumar Patra, sources said. The aggrieved workers alleged that, in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s constituency, NREGA workers are not paid minimum wages.
Secretary of Odisha State Committee of Krantikari Krushak Sabha and trade union leader Shankar Sahu alleged that the minimum wage had been reduced to as low as Rs 207, while the Government fixed wages for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers are higher. It is shameful that MGNREGA workers of CM's own constituency (Hinjili Block) are being paid meager wages, at times even less than Rs 200.
The protestors demanded higher wages for all workers to Rs 25,000 per month or Rs 855 per day; provision of lockdown income support, ration cards, housing, Identity Cards from Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board and revival of all agri based industries etc.
Among others, AIKKS leaders P Parvati, Laxmi Nayak, Sanjukta Nayak, SubashNayak, Nibasini Dakua, Buli Behera, P Jogendra, Narayan Barad and N Krushnamurty were present.