Haryana Congress on Tuesday demanded the BJP Government led by Chief Minister Manohar lal to pay for the losses suffered by vegetable growers who had to resort to distress selling post-demonetisation and suffered huge losses and release the wages of MGNREGA workers, many of whom have not been paid since August, 2016.
Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party, said that for want of liquidity in the wake of demonetisation of old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination, the vegetable growers had to sell their perishable produce at throwaway prices resulting in huge losses.
“Already reeling under massive losses, they must be adequately compensated”, she demanded. Referring to the MGNREGA workers, Choudhry said more than 3 lakh workers across the state have not been paid wages since mid-August. Non-payment of wages post cash crunch caused by demonetisation had made the plight of workers who live off what they are paid, miserable. Members of their households are going without meals, she said.
The Congress leader added, “Some MGNREGA workers and vegetable growers met me and told me about their pitiable condition which virtually borders on starvation. They have no money to buy even food or milk and go to bed empty stomach. They have been living on borrowing goods from the local shopkeeper who too has now stopped obliging them.”