Latehar (Jharkhand): MGNREGA workers from Latehar district of Jharkhand have in separate envelopes returned their Rs 5 ‘meagre’ wage hike to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May Day. Shouting slogans like 'panch rupaiye mein kaise ayenge achhe din', the workers also took out a rally under the banner of Grameen Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh.
Enclosing the money with a letter, the workers (at least 300 in number) expressed concern at the meagre hike as they felt that the Central government was facing paucity of funds. Interest in MGNREGS work is waning in the state due to low wages. The minimum wage has been fixed at Rs 212 per day by the Jharkhand government. However, the rural job scheme gives only Rs 162 and after hike it stands at Rs 167.
"...but we are fortunate that increase in 17 other states was less than Rs 5. It appears that the labourers in Odisha have become prosperous as their wages have not been increased," the letter addressed to the PMO reads.
Further, the affected workers, including women, said in the letter that they felt the Centre's monetary need was more than theirs as the Central government's expenditure was more.
"Pondering over all these factors, we, the MGNREGA workers, in unison, have decided to return to you the five-rupee hike with the hope that you may make happy companies, friends and employees," the letter concluded signing off labourer as the sender.
MGNREGA workers in 8 other administrative blocks in Latehar said that they will also write letters to PMo throughout May, protesting against the lower than minimum wage they are being paid.
The MNREGA Act offers 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work like building roads, ponds and wells.
A total of 1.1 lakh families in the Latehar district are employed under the scheme.
