Organised under the banner of Karnataka Prantha Krishi Koolikarara Sangha, workers from different villages in Kalaburagi district staged a demonstration outside the office of the Zilla Panchayat here on Thursday, demanding work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
“Kalaburagi is one of the drought-hit districts in the State. With the destruction of standing crops and the absence of any agricultural activities, people are migrating to urban areas in search of livelihood options. We have repeatedly appealed to the Zilla Panchayat officials to start MGNREGA works so that people get work when the most needed. Unfortunately, our request haven fallen on deaf ears of the officials. Left with no option, we have resorted to stage a protest to pressurise the administration to start giving work under the job scheme,” district president of the organisation Bhimshetty Yampalli said.
The agitating workers also complained of non-cooperation and even harassment from officials in the gram panchayats in implementing the job scheme.
