Defying scorching heat in Bhubaneswar, hundreds of workers, including day labourers, on Monday hit the streets questioning the Centre’s intention to reduce the budget allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by 30 per cent bringing it down to Rs 60,000 crore.

The government cut the spending under the scheme to Rs 61,000 crore from Rs 89,400 crore in 2022-23. While experts have called it a bloodbath of the social welfare schemes, the labourers feel they are being pushed into uncertainty.

They also questioned the Centre’s inaction on the demand for raising the minimum wages of labourers engaged in work under the MGNREGA scheme and not bringing it under the ambit of the minimum wage scheme.

“The Modi government is hitting the belly where it hurts most. How can they feel the pain of the labourers and workers,” said the workers while holding a demonstration at Lower PMG Square, hardly 500 metres from the Odisha Assembly.

“While the minimum daily wage at the market is Rs 500 to Rs 600 for an unskilled labourer depending on the location of the area, one is only getting Rs 222 under MGNREGA in Odisha. Can it be possible to run a family at Rs 222 per day? Though we are entitled to get work per 100 days, we are not getting work for 100 days,” said Somnath Giri, the general secretary, Nikhila Odisha MGNREGA Shramika Sangathan.

The problems of the labourers are many.

“Even if a worker gets work six days a week, then under the scheme one will get Rs 5,300 in a month. At this point when prices of dal, cooking oil and vegetables are skyrocketing where you will get the money to refill an LPG gas cylinder,” said a labourer, Harish Patra. Another problem has emerged in Odisha.

“While the state has prescribed that minimum wage for unskilled labourers is Rs 333, how can we get Rs 222 under the MGNREGA... both the state and the Centre should ponder over the issue?” said Patra.

AITUC’s national VP Vidya Sagar Giri said: “The party at the Centre is pro-rich,pro-industrialist and does not favour the poor. In January, we organised protests in Delhi on issues like raising the minimum wages and employment days. But it fell on deaf ears. Nothing happened. We will continue to raise the issue.”

After the protest, the organisation submitted a memorandum to the governor. The demand includes 250-day job guarantee under the scheme and Rs 700 wage per day.