The Hindu : Karnataka News : Dalit activists intensify agitation

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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Dalit activists intensify agitation

Special Correspondent

CHICKABALLAPUR: Hundreds of Dalit activists and labourers on Friday staged a blockade at the Chickaballapur Zilla Panchayat and the Deputy Commissioner’s offices here to protest against the alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGREGA).

Employees of the ZP and Deputy Commissioner were held up inside their offices for the major part of the day as the protesters did not allow anyone to come out of the buildings. Routine work was affected at the two offices.

The demonstration was part of the nearly 10-day-old agitation launched by the Dalit Sangarsha Samiti (DSS) all over the district to protest the alleged connivance of officials with middlemen in implementing the MGREGA. The DSS has been urging the ZP officials to eliminate middlemen and make payments directly to the bank accounts of the job card holders in accordance with the rules.

The DSS district convener K.C. Rajakanth said that they had intensified the agitation as ZP officials had not responded to the series of demonstrations staged by the DSS in all the six taluk headquarters.

Although the ZP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) N. Krishnappa had recently convened a meeting of DSS leaders and officials to discuss the issue, he himself had skipped the meeting, Mr. Rajakanth said, while seeking disciplinary action against the CEO.

The protesters also urged the State Government to stop the practice of outsourcing employees for the Department of Social Welfare.

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