SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 25: As the June 25 deadline ended, MGNREGA employees of Jharkhand have decided to gherao Raj Bhawan (Governor House) on July 2 for job regularization and other demands assured by former chief minister Hemant Soren.
The Jharkhand State MGNREGA Employees Association had set a deadline June 25 for the state government to either talk on the promise made by former chief minister Hemant Soren over job regularization or face the agitation. Since deadline ended they have announced agitation
Association’s state president John Peter Bagey said that since the state government did not call for negotiation over demands, MGNREGA employees are left with no option but to go on a state-wide agitation in support of their demands.
“The association has resolved to gherao Rajbhawan on July 2. After Gherao it will decide the date of the three-day token strike on the same day. Thereafter, going on indefinite strike will also be decided”, said John Peter Bagey.
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The association claims that during the 2019 assembly election former chief minister Hemant Soren had promised to regularize the jobs of MGNREGA employees of the state and give all benefits they were entitled to get if his alliance forms government.
Hemant Soren’s alliance formed the government and he became chief minister. But he did not implement a single demand in four years of his tenure as chief minister.
“We had requested present chief minister Champai Soren to call us to talk over the promise made by former chief minister Hemant Soren but he did not respond”, said the MGNREGA state president.
Lowest cadre of MGNREGA employees (Rojgar Sevaks) have been working since 2005 on a nominal honorarium of Rs 12,000. Their main demands are regularization of jobs, minimum honorarium of Rs 26,000, formation of Service Terms Manuel.
MGNREGA Association leader Mukesh Ram said that on July 2 employees from all 24 districts will reach Ranchi and move for Raj Bhawan gherao in procession.
