About 500 labour from 15 states has been staging protests in New Delhi opposing the amendments to the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MBREGS) for the past three days.
The scheme was aimed at providing wage employment to the rural landless poor across the country.
Diluting the scheme, Mr Modi’s government brought several changes in the scheme. It introduced a National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) application that makes it mandatory for the labour to give their attendance twice a day. The budget for the scheme was also slashed drastically. However, they contend that the mobile application is not working properly and there was no internet connection in several rural areas. They fear that they lose their wage despite working as a result.
The Asanghatith Mazdoor Union, Rajasthan leader Mr Shyam said NMMS app is usurping the rights of the labour as it was not functioning properly. The labour was tense thinking if they get their wage or not.
Their demands include; the removal of the app-based attendance system and continuing the earlier method; deposit wages within 15 days in their bank accounts; compensate for the injuries sustained and untimely death of labour at the place of work; release all pending wages by August 9 and pay according to nature of work rather on time spent on work.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao