NREGA workers ‘deprived’ of work, protest against state govt

NREGA workers held a protest by beating empty containers at Wan village here on Tuesday. They were protesting against the district administration for not giving them work for the last three years.

Besides, workers of Thathian Mahantan, Narli, Sursingh, Bhojian, Dialpura, Kirian, Wan and other villages participated in the protest.

Ranjit Singh Shakri, district president of the NREGA Workers’ Union, while addressing on the occasion, said they have not been given work for the last three years. Though the union has held protests against this irregularity by submitting memorandums to the Deputy Commissioner and also by staging dharnas in front of the District Administrative Complex many times in the past, the administration has not paid attention to their demand.

Shakri said they were being denied the unemployment allowance. He alleged that AAP has politicised the NREGA work, which was being given only to supporters of the ruling party.

By beating the empty containers, they said their families had nothing to eat as their containers have gone empty as these have no grains. Mandeep Singh, Sumanpret Kaur, Aroor Singh, Badal Singh, Sukhjinder Kaur, Gunbir Kaur and other leaders of the union in their addresses said leaders of the ruling party from villages were creating obstacles just to oblige their own party workers with work.