HASSAN: Addressing a workshop on National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, president of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha Maruti Marpade said the scheme would help safeguard the interests of the poor who are forced to go to moneylenders in times of a crisis. The workshop was organised by "NREGS Hithasakthara Balaga" at the Kannada Sahitya Parishat building here on Friday.

Mr. Manpade said agriculture workers in villages are exploited by moneylenders and also the rich landlords who pay lesser wages.

He said the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has been agitating seeking a national programme to uplift agriculture workers, particularly women, the weaker sections and backward classes. Finally, the Union Government relented to the Left parties' demand and in 2005, it announced this scheme wherein work is guaranteed for 100 days in a year. If there were no work, they would get un-employment allowance.

Mr. Manpade effort should be made to ensure the success of the scheme. There should be no room for bogus cards and bogus attendance.

Earlier, inaugurating the workshop, Hassan Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer F.R. Jamaadar said the programme is only for rural poor and they should register themselves with the gram panchayat concerned.

The gram panchayat, in turn, will give them employment. The minimum wages fixed is Rs. 74 a day. Over one lakh people would get employment under this scheme and every year, Rs. 40 crore would be spent. There would be need-based works under the scheme.

The district CITU president, Dharmesh, presided over the workshop.

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