Preparations complete for dharna over workers’ rights from May 26-28

The stage is set for a dharna which is going to be organised from May 26 to 28 by members of the Dehati Mazdur Sabha (Rural Workers’ Association) in front of the office of the Jalandar Divisional Commissioner. Leaders of the sabha said the dharna was being held to achieve the demands of the workers.

Darshan Nahar, state president of the Dehati Mazdoor Sabha; General Secretary Gurnam Singh Daud, Press Secretary Baldev Singh Nurpuri and Finance Secretary Shamsher Singh Batala, while addressing the media today, strongly condemned the discriminatory attitude of the Centre and the state government towards the key demands of the landless rural workers who, they said, were also deprived off crucial means of production.

The primary demands raised by the leaders on the occasion inlcuded, implemention of MGNREGA in villages as well as in the cities, with full guarantee of work for all adult members of every labourers’ family through the year while raising the daily wage for the same by up to Rs 700 per day, strengthening of public distribution system to curb the ever-increasing inflation, providing essential commodities at the cheapest rates through government depots, furnishing ration cards promptly for the needy, providing residential plots of 10 marla and a grant of Rs 5 lakh to the homeless; hike in old age, widow, disabled and dependent persons’ pensions to Rs 5,000 per month — age limit for women for the same to be increased to 55 years and for men to 58; free provisison of equal and quality education and health facilities to all, filling up of vacant posts in all the departments, boards corporations, etc; provision of free potable drinking water to every citizen; end of drug trafficking; writing off of the loans of the poor, among others.

Leaders said surplus, waste, Najool and Shamlat lands must be distributed to the landless under the Land Ceiling Act and a third of the public share in the Panchayat land should be given to the Dalits. They urged the state governemnt to fulfil the guarantees made to the people during the elections. Leaders informed that all preparations had been made and they would reach the dharna with their families by holding yard/mohalla meetings in villages and cities.

The leaders added if the government did not pay attention to the demands of the workers even after the protest, the union would be forced to wage a more intense struggle in near future.

Jalandhar