You need Rs 5 more than we do, NREGA workers tell Modi -Governance Now

You need Rs 5 more than we do, NREGA workers tell Modi

Jharkhand NREGA workers protest low wages by returning Rs 5 to PM on May Day

GN Bureau | May 2, 2016

#Narendra Modi #NREGA #Jharkhand workers #May Day

Hundreds of workers in Manika block of Jharkhand’s Latehar district have sent Rs 5 to prime minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday. They were protesting against the measly increase of NREGA wages in Jharkhand this year – from Rs 162 per day to Rs 167 per day.

NREGA wages in Jharkhand were raised by just Rs 4 last year (from Rs 158 to 162), and another Rs 5 this year. To protest against this stinginess, workers marched through Manika, held a rally, and then hundreds of them sent Rs 5 to the prime minister with a letter.

Text of the letter

Dear prime minister,

This year your government has increased the wages of NREGA workers in Jharkhand by five rupees (from Rs 162 per day to Rs 167 per day). We feel very lucky, because in 17 states the increase was even less. It sounds like NREGA workers in Odisha are now considered very well-off because their wages have not increased at all.

Actually, we are very concerned. The government must be really short of money if it is unable to raise NREGA wages to the minimum wage, that too when one third of the rural population is affected by drought. (For your kind information, the minimum wage in Jharkhand is Rs 212 per day.)

We feel that you need the extra five rupees more than we do, since your government has so many expenses. To implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, you will have to spend an additional Rs 1 lakh crore at least on salaries and pensions of government employees. Defence expenditure is about Rs 2.5 lakh crore. You must also be spending a lot of money on tax concessions for big companies, aside from giving them cheap land and other resources.

Considering all this, we NREGA workers have made a collective decision to give up our extra wages for a day and return the extra five rupees to you. We hope that this will help you to keep your corporate friends and government employees happy.

Your faithful workers,

[followed by name, signature and job card number]

This action was initiated by Grameen Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh – a local organisation of rural workers, local activists James Herenj and Ankita said in a press release. Among other activities, members of the Sangh are struggling to secure their rights under NREGA, including employment on demand and payment within 15 days, the press release stated. However, interest in NREGA work is waning in the area because of low wages.

Comments

Other News

India-Russia ties: Anchored in trust, deep mutual understanding

Unlike the US and the West, Russia does not have a relationship with India merely based on transactional exchange of goods or commodities. Instead, it is based on deep mutual understanding and trust, which have helped the two countries in navigating ups and downs of international geopolitics for decades.

Centre accelerates railway upgrades across Maharashtra

The union government has reiterated its commitment to the development and expansion of the railway network in Maharashtra. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the significant progress achieved in recent years through enhanced budgetary suppo

On Ukraine, Modi tells Putin India stands for peace

India stands for peace from the beginning when it comes to Ukraine, prime minister Narendra Modi said here Friday, as he welcomed Russian president Vladimir Putin. "We welcome all efforts being made for a peaceful and sustainable resolution of this subject. India has always been ready to contribute

Passport Verification Record now available on DigiLocker

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), has announced a major enhancement to citizen services through the enablement of the Passport Verification Record (PVR) on the DigiLoc

Strengthening telecom sector for significant growth in its digital infra

The government has undertaken several measures to strengthen the telecom sector in the country which has led to the growth of telecom sector. These measures include Rationalization of Adjusted Gross Revenue; Rationalization of Bank Guarantees (BGs); Rationalization of interest rates and remo

Praja Foundation launches Citizens’ Manifesto for Maharashtra civic polls

Praja Foundation has unveiled the Citizens’ Manifesto for Maharashtra’s Municipal Elections 2025, presenting a comprehensive reform roadmap aimed at strengthening municipal governance, enhancing service delivery, and advancing transparency and citizen participation across urban local bodies.