Agri workers union urges TN govt not to implement union govt directives on MGNREGA

CHENNAI: The state unit of the All India Agricultural Workers Union has urged the state government not to implement the directives issued by the Union government for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) scheme and continue to provide jobs for all those registered for the work under the scheme.

In a statement, AIAWU said that even though the rules for the MGNREGA scheme should be amended only after discussion in the Parliament. "BJP government at the centre has been making changes and reducing fund allocation for the last 10 years. The farm workers were not getting enough work and their wages on time, " it said.

Due to the latest directives from the centre, only five to 20 people would get employment as only construction works being taken up under the MGNREGA, it said, adding that the Rural Development Department has banned taking up of trench cutting, sunken ponds, percolation pond and desilting of ponds.

"Any works undertaken would not be paid, " the union said, adding that the state government should not implement the union government directives to ensure large-scale employment.

"Due to this, the rural economy will weaken. Also, the loss of jobs of the workers during the time of parliamentary elections will affect the Tamil Nadu government, " it noted.