Migrants launch agitation demanding jobs under MGNREGA, pradhan 'dares not' to meet them

Migrants launch agitation demanding jobs under MGNREGA, pradhan 'dares not' to meet them

When asked, Vibhu Goel, district magistrate, Nadia said, “Around 80000 labourers have returned their homes from different states. We have already initiated giving jobs to them. It will take time to accommodate all the labourers under job schemes. No one will be debarred.”    

Biswabrata Goswami

Hummingbird News 

KRISHNAGAR, 9 JULY: Hundreds of labourers who returned their homes from different states induced by the novel coronavirus, launched an agitation in front of the Belpukur panchayat office under Dhubulia police station limits in Nadia seeking jobs under MGNREGA schemes.

Armed with a nine-point charter of demands, the labourers under the banner of Joint Forum against Covid Crisis also demanded immediate disbursement of Rs 1000 under Sneher Paras scheme.

The West Bengal government had propelled Sneher Paras Scheme 2020 for transient workers who are an occupant of West Bengal and stuck outside the state during Coronavirus lockdown.

As the agitating labourers demanded a meeting with panchayat pradhan, it is reported that the pradhan dared not to stay in his office and fled the scene before they reached citing excuse that he had scheduled a meeting with officials.

Instead of the panchayat pradhan, the OC, Dhubulia police station then appeared in the scene to contain the situation, but the agitators refused to obey his proposal. Tension gripped soon after it, but the agitators later admitted to submit their memorandum before the Dhubulia block development officer.

Moutuli Nag Sarkar, an activist of Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), who also took part in the agitation said, “The BDO has agreed to address three demands with immediate action and he will channelize the rest of the demands to the proper authorities.”

The agitators alleged that after returning from other states, they stayed in home quarantine and maintained all precautions as per government instructions. But even after four months, the government has not given any job to them.

“How will we maintain our families? The government has not even disbursed Rs 1000 to us under Sneher Paras scheme, while we have registered our names under this scheme,” said Abdul Mullick, who led the agitation.

Mullick also demanded that the government should immediately launch a special financial package for the migrants where it would provide Rs 5000 per month compensation to their families.

He also said the government should ensure jobs under MGNREGA to the families of the migrants and issue job cards to them. The payment should be handed over directly to the job card holders, he demanded.

The labourers also raised the question of why a political representative elected by the people in the panchayat level hesitates to face the people when the latters are in acute trouble. During the peaceful movement for democratic rights, why did the people have to face the police to mediate their demands to the proper authorities, the agitating labourers asked.   

When asked, Vibhu Goel, district magistrate, Nadia said, “Around 80000 labourers have returned their homes from different states. We have already initiated process to arrange jobs for them. It will take time to accommodate all the labourers under job schemes. No one will be debarred.”