Demand for fair wages for MGNREGA workers

Mahbubnagar: The Telangana Agricultural Labor Union has demanded to resolve the various problems faced by the MGNREGA workers across Palamuru region and the state.

Demanding redressal of their various problems, recently the Association leaders along with many MGNREGA workers from erstwhile Mahabubnagar, visited Hyderabad and met the State Rural Development Panchayat Raj Minister Seethakka and gave a list of demands to the minister and urged her to resolve the problems of the wage workers working under the MGNREGA schemes in the rural areas.

According to Srinu Naik, constituency in-Charge from Shadnagar region of erstwhile Mahabubnagar put forth several demands to improve the conditions of field assistants and agricultural workers in the State.

Key among the demands is the appointment of field assistants for the newly formed gram panchayats and the recognition of senior mates as field assistants. The petition emphasised the need for the reinstatement of field assistants dismissed by the TRS government, alongside a call for a minimum wage of ₹26,000 for these workers. Additionally, it advocates for a minimum daily wage of Rs 600 for employed workers, without any performance measurements, and an increase in the minimum working days to 200 per year.

Earlier, during the state conference held at Sundarayya Vigyan Kendra, Hyderabad, Naik highlighted the necessity of starting employment guarantee programmes not only in rural areas but also in urban regions. He stressed the importance of recognising the contributions of senior mates who have been providing work to employment guarantee workers since the establishment of new village panchayats after Telangana’s formation.

Agricultural workers and employment guarantee workers from various districts including Farooqnagar, Kondurgu, Keshampet, and Chaudhary Gudem were present. Notable attendees included Anjaneys, Shankar Kanna, Jangaiah, Mallesh, and Ramesh K. Raju, who all voiced their support for the petition.