Gram rozgar sewaks in Mansa go on indefinite strike

Gram rozgar sewaks, employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), went on an indefinite strike on Wednesday demanding payment of their salaries and hike in wages

Gram rozgar sewaks, employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), went on an indefinite strike on Wednesday demanding payment of their salaries and hike in wages.

"There are 40 gram rozgar sewaks who work in different blocks in Mansa. Our basic salary is `2,000 excluding `500 paid as travelling allowance. We demand that our dues pending for the past one year should be cleared at the earliest," said Jagseer Singh, district president of gram rozgar sewaks. They also demanded that they are asked to perform a number of duties for which they are getting paid very low.

"We had forwarded our request to the deputy commissioner on August 10 requesting him to look into the issue, but to no avail. This is why all the employees have gone on an indefinite strike and are holding
protests in their respective blocks," said one of the sewaks.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Pravin Kumar assured that he would hold a meeting with representatives of the sewaks and sort out the issue. "They are demanding that they should be declared permanent employees, which is not possible under the MNREGA. But, we will be discussing the issue with them to reach a solution," said the deputy commissioner.