A complaint has come up from Muringodi near Peravoor in Kerala’s Kannur district that a 60-year-old tribal woman was denied job under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) for not participating in a protest against Centre government’s decision to rename the scheme organized by the NRG Workers Union affiliated to the CITU, workers’ organization of the CPM.
It has been alleged that the union leaders have issued a directive that only those who participated in the strike against the Centre before the Kannur Head post office on Thursday should come for the job under MGNREGA.
Lakshmi of Parangode Unnati, who had come for the job under MGNREGA was sent back by the leaders of the union, it is alleged. She had not gone to work for two days due to illness. When she went back to work on Friday, she was told that only those who participated in the strike on Thursday would get a job.
Thursday’s strike was inaugurated by senior CPM leader EP Jayarajan. CPM Kannur district secretary and other leaders participated in the strike. Employment guarantee workers from various parts of the district were asked to participate.
The BJP organized a protest march before the Peravoor gram panchayat office in protest against the denial of job to the tribal woman.