Relief workers getting a pittance

CHURU, APRIL 28. Despite the State Government's notification of fixing the minimum wage at Rs. 60, the drought-hit labourers given employment under food-for-work programmes in a village of Churu district have complained that they were getting Rs. seven only for their hard day's work in blazing heat.

A PTI correspondent, who visited the district, was shocked to hear harrowing tales of the labourers at Indirya village, 18 km from Sardarshahar.

Officials, however, seek to justify it claiming that concerned labourers had not put in required number of hours at work.

Women labourers, however, said they had been working all day long in the heat wave conditions but were being paid only Rs. seven.

They said the contractors and officials did promise to pay Rs. 40 per day, but it all had been settled at Rs. seven for the last fortnight.

They were stunned to hear that the Rajasthan Government had raised the minimum wages to Rs. 60 per day. When the district collector was contacted, he said the wages are according to the hour devoted by each labourer regardless of sex, caste or creed.

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Section  : National
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