Narayanpet: The Telangana Agricultural Workers’ Union and Rythu Sangham have urged the Central Government to allocate ₹2 lakh crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA). This request was made during a protest at the Municipal Park in Narayanpet, led by district vice-president Shivakumar. They submitted a list of demands to the District Collector.
Union district secretary Gopal and Rythu Sangham district president Anjilayya criticized the central government for ignoring the needs of poor laborers and creating divisions among the public. They noted that last year, ₹90,000 crore was spent on rural jobs, but this year the budget was cut to ₹86,000 crore. “Is this fair?” they asked.
The unions highlighted the growing number of poor workers in urban areas, as nearby villages are absorbed into cities. Many of these workers rely on farm and wage labor, so they called for the employment scheme to cover urban areas too.
Key demands are:
– Issuing job cards to all eligible workers.
– Providing necessary tools and materials at work sites.
– Ensuring basic facilities and a daily wage of ₹600.
– Extending the workdays to 200 per year with weekly payments.
– Allocating ₹2 lakh crore annually for effective implementation.
Additional demands include:
– Including MGNREGA workers in state welfare schemes.
– Raising the grant for the Indiramma housing scheme to ₹10 lakh.
– Free medical treatment for injuries at work sites.
– ₹10 lakh compensation for accidental deaths.
– Unemployment allowance for those unable to find work.
They warned of intensified protests if their demands are not met, pushing the government to act on behalf of this significant workforce.
Union leaders Balappa, Saibaba, Ellappa, Renamma, Kishtappa, Govind, Hanmanthu, SFI district secretary Pavan, Mahesh, and many workers joined the protest.
