After raising the issues of accountability law for government officers and lack of water and fodder in the current spell of drought, an indefinite dharna of civil rights groups here has demanded that the widespread complaints about non-payment of wages to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) workers across Rajasthan be addressed.
The participants in the dharna, drawn from 20 districts of the State, said the Supreme Court's directions passed on May 13 on NREGS, drought management and food security were not being complied with in the State. They called for launch of an official campaign for redressal of complaints within a specific time period.
A delegation of activists also met State NREGS Commissioner Rohit Kumar on Monday and requested for urgent action on the demands. The issue for enactment of a law on accountability of government officers has also received the support of Opposition Congress.
The dharna participants also demanded immediate arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kanwar Lal Meena, who had allegedly attacked a “Jawabdehi Yatra” in Aklera earlier this year. They said the political interference in the matter had prevented the law from taking its course, even though the police had completed investigation in the attack on the Jawabdehi Yatra members in Ms. Raje's home district.
Social activist and Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy said the State government, which had removed the chapters on Jawaharlal Nehru and right to information campaign from the school textbooks, could hardly be expected to follow legal procedure for Mr. Meena's arrest, even after the police probe had found him prima facie guilty.
“There is video recording of how the MLA from Manohar Thana and his accomplices brutally attacked the yatra participants and injured them on January 16. What message is this government sending across by not putting him behind bars?” asked Ms. Roy.
The activists adopted a resolution demanding that the space be identified at all district and tehsil headquarters for holding demonstrations and dharnas to enable the citizens to raise their voice on public issues. The dharna will cover the issues of illegal mining, violation of forest rights and inadequate social security pensions in the coming days.
Also demand arrest of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena who had allegedly attacked a “Jawabdehi Yatra” earlier this year
