Agartala, February 2:
Complying with a nationwide call given by the All India Union of Agricultural Workers, the Tripura Khet Majoor Union on Monday organised statewide protests demanding the full restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and protection of rural employment.
As part of the central programme, demonstrations were held across various subdivisions of Tripura, with a major rally organised in the state capital. In Agartala, the protest was led by the West District Committee of the Tripura Khet Majoor Union and witnessed the participation of a large number of agricultural labourers and daily wage workers.
The rally began from Melarmath near the Chatra-Juba Bhavan and proceeded through several important city roads before culminating in front of the Labour Department. There, union leaders and workers held a protest meeting to voice their concerns and submit their demands.
Addressing the gathering, union leaders alleged that employment opportunities in rural areas have been steadily declining, pushing daily wage earners into acute financial hardship. They claimed that the implementation of MGNREGA in the state has weakened due to reduced allocation of funds and fewer workdays, depriving thousands of workers of their only source of guaranteed employment.
The protesters demanded adequate budgetary allocation for MGNREGA, immediate clearance of pending wages, and the provision of the mandated 100 days of work per household. They also called for timely payment of wages and transparency in the execution of projects under the scheme.
Speakers at the meeting warned that the livelihood crisis facing rural workers has intensified due to cuts in work availability and insufficient funding. They stressed that agricultural labourers, landless workers and marginalised communities are bearing the brunt of the situation.
The union leaders cautioned that unless urgent corrective measures are taken by the authorities, rural distress would deepen further. They asserted that the MGNREGA scheme remains a vital lifeline for millions of rural households and vowed to intensify their agitation if their demands are not addressed in the near future.
