Farm workers agitate for strengthening of NREGS

Eluru: The farm labour staged a dharna at District Collectorate here on Thursday, demanding that the Government strengthen the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The farm labour led by Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham (APVKS), West Godavari unit rallied to Collectorate and staged dharna as part of the nation-wide call given by Bharat Khet Mazdoor Union (BKMU).

The farm labour raised slogans against the Government for not providing the employment to the farm labour as prescribed by the MRNREGS norms.

They demanded that the Government provide 200 workdays to each family per year under the MRNREGS. APVKS District Committee President Kalisetti Venkatrao presided over the dharna.

APVKS District General Secretary Bandi Venkateswara Rao addressing the dharna demanded that the Government pay Rs 500 as the daily wage to the workers under the NREGS.

He also wanted the government to provide water, medical assistance free of cost to the rural poor. He also asked the government to distribute one hectare land to the landless poor and 3 cents for house site as per the recommendations of Koneru Rangarao Commission.

CPI District Secretary Dega Prabhakar demanded that the government distribute the forest barren lands to the poor people in Agency and upland areas in the district.

He said that the government had established Vana Samrakshana Samitis (VSS) to provide an income source to the landless poor people in the district.

However, he regretted that those could not function properly as the government failed to allot land to the VSS. He wanted the government to allot the land to the VSS and sanction individual pattas to the members of VSS.

Later, the AKVKS district leaders met District Revenue Officer and submitted a memorandum. APVKS district leaders Boda Vajram, Kancharla Guravayya, Jakkamsetti Pushpavati, CPI leaders Puppala Kannababu and others led the dharna.