Farmers Movement Archive

More workdays sought

Demanding effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, members of Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha, under the banner of All-India Agriculture Workers’ Union and the All-India Janawadi Mahila Sangha, and farmers from various taluks staged a demonstration outside office of the zilla panchayat CEO recently. AIJMS State vice-president K. Neela demanded that government extend workdays from the present 100 to 250 under the scheme. Ms. Neela also criticised the government for not paying salaries to outsourced employees working in various hostels run by the Backward Class Welfare Department and demanded that the dues be cleared immediately. “The employees have toiled during COVID-19 at quarantine centres. The department has to pay their salaries and incentives for risking their lives during the pandemic,” she said. Later, the agitators and farmers took out a protest rally from Jagat Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office demanding that the Union government withdraw the three new farm Bills that were passed in Parliament. Ms. Neela stated that with the passage of the contentious Bills, big corporate companies would have the freedom to stock commodities, which may lead to farmers getting low prices for their crops. Furthermore, by bringing in more potential buyers, the new Bills might weaken the prevailing MSP system and favour ‘big farmers’ and corporates at the expense of the smaller producers.

The Hindu

2020-12-08

KALABURAGI,KARNATAKA