Stating that the shrinkage in agricultural activities during 2013-14 fiscal has resulted in heavy loss of income to them, the agricultural labourers from the district staged protests at various places on Tuesday.
They also put forward the demand to increase the number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to give opportunities for assured days of income to the agricultural workers in a year.
“Despite the slight increase in the availability of water for irrigation in certain areas of Tirupur district during 2013-14 fiscal, the overall state of farming activities remained almost the same as that in the drought hit 2012-13 financial year.
“Since the 2013-14 has not been announced as ‘drought-hit’, the State Government should at least award a minimum of Rs 10,000 per head for agricultural workers as a lump sum compensatory amount for the days of work lost,” said V.P. Palanisamiy state vice-president of Tamil Nadu Maanila Vyvasaya
On the prospects for agricultural workers under the MGNREGS, Mr. Palanisamy said that despite the Central Government issuing an order raising the daily wages under the said scheme to Rs. 167 in February itself, the agricultural workers were yet to get the payment at the enhanced scale.
The workers were of the view that the State Government constituted Kolappan Committee’s recommendation for regularising the daily working hours under MGNREGS to six hours a day should be implemented immediately.
The delays in disbursing wages under the MGNREGS, which were reported from different parts of the district, were condemned by the workers.
The agitations in support of these demands took place in Dharapuram, Kangayam, Uthukuli, Udumalpet and Avinashi blocks.
