People's Democracy

EGA: Working Group For People’s Action Meets

THE ‘Working Group of the People’s Action for Employment Guarantee’ that is constituted by over 100 organisations all over the country met at the NFIW office on December 27 and took the following decisions:

1. To lobby all members of parliament to ensure the passage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as soon as possible.

2. To appeal for the following changes to be included in the Act as tabled by the government.

1. The Act be extended to the whole country in a time-bound period and not be dependent on a ‘Central Government Notification’.

2. Statutory Minimum Wages must be paid for any work done under the provision of the Act.

3. The Act should be universally applicable and not just be targeted towards a section of the unemployed.

4. The Act should apply to rural areas all over the country, without targeting states and areas as the central government pleases.

 This was stated by Suneet Chopra, joint secretary of All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) and member of the Work Group of Peoples Action for Employment Guarantee Act, in a statement.

He stated that all organisations are free to lobby the MPs independently or jointly in the form of mass deputation’s as groups to ensure they understand the mood of the people as regarding this important piece of legislation. (INN)