With a majority of women labourers, who have been registered under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, going for election campaign, the scheme works being undertaken at various villages, especially in Athoor constituency, are completely paralysed.
Though it is common to mobilise SHG members and MGNREGS workers to show huge crowds at government functions, they have been roped in to campaign for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidates at villages now.
Works in Vakkampatti, Kalikkampatti and Perumalkovilpatti are paralysed. Sources said that the BDO of Athoor union was asked to grant leave to women workers to enable them to take part in election campaign. A majority of them were willing to take part in AIAMDK campaign.
On Monday morning, hundreds of MGNREGS workers assembled on both sides of the road carrying ‘kumbham’ and ‘aarathi’ plates to accord a rousing welcome to AIAMDK candidate for Athoor constituency R. Viswanathan at Vakkampatti village.
One woman worker said that local panchayat leaders had agreed to pay them what they would get for MGNREGS work. They also promised to mark attendance in their favour, and the village panchayat members advised them not to go for work on Monday, she said.
Another worker, Sahaya Mary, said, “We work under scorching sun in both fields. We dig earth in agricultural fields. Here we wait for the Minister. There is no difference in our work.”
After the departure of the Minister from the village, AIADMK men advised the women to meet Vakkampatti panchayat president Matilda at her office for marking their attendance. MGNREGS women workers had campaigned for Mr. Viswanathan at Perumalkovilpatti village in Ambathurai panchayat too.
Earlier addressing the gathering, Mr. Viswanathan said that he never tasted defeat in his political career. But Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate I. Periasamy was defeated in two Assembly elections. Voters should not hesitate to defeat him this time too, he added.
