Farm labourers belonging to the Tamil Maanila Vivasaya Thozhilalar Sangam, affiliated to the Communist Party of India, resorted to picketing agitations in Tiruchi and neighbouring districts on Tuesday condemning the BJP government for reducing the financial allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and restricting the area of coverage under the scheme.
Several farm labourers were arrested during the agitations that were held in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, and Karur districts.
The sangam members demanded the Centre to increase the number of days under the scheme from 100 to 200 and sought the increase in daily wage to Rs. 300 per labourer a day.
Police sources said around 300 sangam members were arrested in Tiruverambur, Lalgudi, Samayapuram, Thuraiyur, and Manapparai in Tiruchi district.
Around 480 members were arrested in Thanjavur district where the agitations were organised at 15 places. The number of those arrested in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts exceeded 2,000 and 800 respectively.
