NREGS implementation: Farmers lay siege to Taluk Panchayat office

Quantum of ration for poor has dwindled under PDS

Alleging that National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is not being implemented properly in the district, the protesters said that job cards are not being issued to beneficiaries and inordinate delay is being caused in payment of wages.

Majority of the population in the country is reeling under the onslaught of economic recession and spiralling prices of essential commodities. The poor are being deprived Below Poverty Line cards. The quantity of ration allotted for ration card has been curtailed. The government should take steps to ensure rationcards and ration for all the eligible beneficiaries. The ruling BJP should honour its electoral promise of providing rice at Rs 2 per kg.

Lakhs of women help groups across the country have saved crores of rupees. The huge thrift has become an eyesore for private moneylenders who are trying to destroy the help groups in one way or the other. Some non-governmental ogranisations, on the other hand, are misusing the funds on the pretext of accounts maintenance and training. The government should reign in such non-governmental organisations, they demanded.

Demands
The protesters demanded proper implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, increasing the wage to Rs 150 from the present Rs 82 per day, guaranteeing minimum 200 days of employment, selecting a mate from the labourers themselves, and deputing two junior engineers to each Gram Panchayats were their other demands.

Taluk Panchayat executive officer K V Reddappa, who received memorandum from the protesters said that the same would be forwarded to the government. The demands would be considered in the present legal framework, he assured.
Earlier, the protesters took out a march from Travellers’ Bungalow and reached the office of the Taluk Panchayat.

Gopinath and Srinivasa Redddy of Prantha Raitha Sangha, Jagadeeshwari of Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane, Kavita of Democratic Youth Federation of India took part in the protest.