As the strike of MGNREGA staff entered sixteenth day on Tuesday, its association and government representatives held a meeting which ended with ‘deal’ which may end the deadlock. Sources said that the higher ups of the Rural Development Department on the instructions of Chief Secretary called for meeting of the MGNREGA association. Subsequently a meeting took place which was chaired by the commissioner secretary RDD. Sources told that the government agreed to form a committee which shall look into staff’s main demand of framing a job policy within three months. If sources are to be believed, the government also agreed to increase the remunerations of the staff within “few days.” When contacted Commissioner Secretary Rural Development Department Nirmal Sharma told GNS that “today I talked to them (MGNERAGA association) and they have put forward their demands and issues.”
The employees have submitted a memorandum to us and we are constituting a committee to look into those issues and we will see whatever possible we can do in their favour", Sharma said. The MGNERAGA staff has been continuing with strike and protests since December 11 and on 10th day of their strike, they succeeded in reaching Rajbhawan and informed the governor N N Vohra for the demand of their regularization. During these days, the staff under the banner of All J&K MGNREGA Employees Association had assembled at Exhibition Ground and other places in the state. President of the association Jan Mohammed, vice president Sandeep Kalotra and others have been regularly addressing the gathering and said that despite assurance by the RDD Minister to frame a definite policy for the regularization of MGNREGA workers, nothing has been done so far. They said that these workers including GRS, Technical Assistants, MIS Operators are being exploited by the Government and are being provided just peanuts as salary.