Many Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) activists, including a large number of women, were arrested to prevent them from going to the residence of G. Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Tourism and in charge of the Bellary district to submit a memorandum to sought Judicial probe into the misuse of funds released under MNREGA. All of them were released later. U. Basavaraj, CPIM Bellary District Committe Secretary, who was among those arrested, condemned the police action and sought to know whether a police regime was prevailing in the district.
In response to a Statewide call, members of the two organisations planned to submit a memorandum to Mr. Reddy. They wanted to draw the Minister's attention to what they described as large-scale misuse of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act Allegation
“Is it a crime to meet the Minister and apprise him about the plight of the poor,” he asked. Mr. Basavaraj alleged that the police insisted that there was no need for so many people to go to the residence of the Minister. They (police) said they would ask a representative of the Minister to come here and collect the memorandum. When this was turned down, they arrested all the members. Terming the incident anti-democratic, Mr. Basavaraj said a public movement would soon be launched against it.
The memorandum said that the very purpose of the MNREG scheme was being defeated and crores of rupees misused. “We wanted to seek a judicial probe into the misuse of funds. We also want the scheme extended to urban areas,” he said. V.S. Shivashankar of the KPRS was among those present.
Police rough up agricultural workers Agricultural workers led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), who sought payment for works executed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) were roughed up by the police here on Monday.
Scores of workers had assembled in front of the home office of Minister S.A. Ramdas to submit a memorandum, alleging that the district administration had been withholding their wages.
Nearly 160 workers, all belonging to the economically weaker section, from the Kodahahalli Gram Panchayat in T. Narsipura taluk, had been denied daily wages. Though they were engaged in work from November 16, 2010 to December 12, 2010 and should have received Rs. 125 per day, the authorities had denied them their due, the activists alleged. However, the workers were dispersed by the police on the grounds that they did not have the permission to stage a dharna.
“Even the basic courtesy of receiving the memorandum was denied to us and the police roughed us up while the women agricultural workers were chased away”, said G.N. Nagaraj, CPI(M) leader.
(source : The Hindu)
