MGNREGA workers stage sit-in protest in Ukhrul town, demand clearance of wage arrears

Demanding immediate clearance of pending wages under MGNREGA, hundreds of job card holders on Monday staged a sit-in demonstration in the heart of Ukhrul town.

The protest demonstration held at Gandhi Chawk, Phungreitang was organised by All Hunphun Tang Association (AHTA) to mount pressure on the government to release the pending wages for 50 days for the current fiscal year ending this month.

“We have been demanding the government to release the pending wages at the earliest. If, this time, the government would fail to fulfill our demand, we would intensify our agitation in due course,” AHTA chairman Chonme Raleng said during the demonstration.

He continued that the protest demonstration was organised to display the grievances and discontent of the poor wage earners due to prolonged delay in the payment.

Raleng said that Ukhrul DC Joseph Pauline Kamson had even assured to release payment for wages upto 59 days for the period 2020-21 during the Republic Day celebration. “But despite this assurance, our district administrator has failed to translate it into action so far,” he added.

Meanwhile, according to AHTA, a conglomeration of 27 localities of the township, a memorandum was submitted to the state government through Ukhrul DC on 17 March last, urging for clearance of the pending payment latest by 25 March.

It said that as promised by Rural Development Minister, liability for a total of 50 days was created and requisite works executed till October last year.

However, the promise has not been fully fulfilled and wages for only seven days have been released so far, it pointed out.