The secretary of the Kodagu unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), P.R. Bharath, on Tuesday alleged that funds released for implementation of projects under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MREGA) had been misused in the district.
Addressing presspersons here, he said work on various projects under MGNREGA in Kodagu was poor with over 75 per cent of the funds spent being misused. In Siddapur gram panchayat, bills were presented for the projects executed by the previous zilla panchayat regime, he alleged.
The DYFI would urge the State Government and the Centre to accord priority to the youth under MGNREGA. The tribal people should be encouraged by providing better price for minor forest produce such as honey collected by them, Mr. Bharath said.
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Mr. Bharath urged the Government to provide a minimum wage of Rs. 160 a day to those employed under MGNREGA and increase the minimum working days from 100 days to 200 days. Roads, drains and playgrounds could be developed under MGNREGA in Kodagu, he said.
The DYFI would launch a programme to forcibly occupy the revenue land (paisari) in some places in Kodagu with a view to securing sites for the landless and poor, Mr. Bharath said.
The district administration and the elected representatives had not responded to the pleas of the poor in this regard, Mr. Bharath alleged. About 150 houses would come up in the first phase in such sites.
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He announced that a district-level convention of the DYFI would be held here on March 28.
A demonstration would be held in front of the post office here on March 26 as part of the nationwide rally urging the Centre to grant service guarantee to employees and formulate special policies for the welfare of the youth, he said.
The DYFI would organise a rally, starting from New Delhi, on March 26 to seek job security and policies for the welfare of the youth, he said.