Hundreds of sacked employees of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) protested here on Sunday outside the marriage palace where chief minister Parkash Singh Badal was listening to the problems of Punjabi non-resident Indians (NRIs) during the sangat darshan programme.
Raising anti-government slogans, the protesters demanded jobs as well as the release of their dues which amount to over Rs 15 crore.
Addressing the protesters, Comrade Jagroop Singh, member of the national council of the Communist Party of India (CPI), said that the agitators have been staging protests across the state for the release of their salary dues for the last six months but, unfortunately, the state government has not paid attention to fulfil their demand so far.
"The MGNREGA Employees Union submitted a number of memorandums to the Moga district administration highlighting their demands, but to no avail. Ultimately, we decided to stage a protest at the sangat darshan venue of the CM," he said.
The union threatened to intensify the agitation and hold a state-level protest in front of the chief minister's residence if their demands are not met.
Kuldeep Singh Bhola, district secretary of the CPI, Jagsir Singh, state secretary, MGNREGA Employees Union, Punjab, and others also addressed the gathering.
{{/usCountry}}Kuldeep Singh Bhola, district secretary of the CPI, Jagsir Singh, state secretary, MGNREGA Employees Union, Punjab, and others also addressed the gathering.
{{/usCountry}}