Sri Vijaya Puram, June 23: Demanding salary revision, pay parity and employee welfare benefits, around 50 MGNREGA employees from North and Middle Andaman launched an indefinite strike at Sri Vijaya Puram on Monday, escalating concerns over long-standing grievances related to wages and service conditions under one of the Government of India’s flagship rural employment programmes.
The protest was organised under the banner of the MGNREGA Employees Association, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Employees gathered at the protest site carrying banners bearing the slogan “No Justice – No Work Until Our Demands Are Fulfilled” and announced that the agitation would continue until the administration responds to their demands.
According to the association, several employees have been serving under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) since the scheme was introduced in the islands in 2008. Despite years of service, they stated that many workers continue to receive a monthly salary of around ₹14,000.
The protesters alleged that deductions towards Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) further reduce their take-home salary, leaving them with limited income to meet rising household expenses. They argued that the current remuneration structure has become increasingly inadequate in view of the growing cost of living across the islands.
Employees participating in the strike include Programme Officers, Assistant Engineers, Technical Assistants, Accountants, Data Entry Operators and Gram Rozgar Sevaks. The association claimed that although employees possess the required professional qualifications and shoulder significant administrative and field responsibilities, their salaries have remained largely unchanged over the years.
The protesters stated that their work responsibilities have expanded considerably with time. They said their duties include field inspections, geo-tagging of assets, monitoring of works, achievement of programme targets and implementation of various government initiatives in remote and geographically challenging areas of the islands.
The association also highlighted the financial strain faced by employees due to increasing expenditure on rent, transportation, LPG cylinders, electricity and essential commodities. Several protesters claimed that the gap between earnings and expenses has forced many workers to depend on borrowing to manage day-to-day household requirements.
Among the key demands placed before the administration are pay parity with employees working under other Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), immediate enhancement of salaries, annual increments of five per cent, provision of travelling allowance (TA) and dearness allowance (DA) as per government norms, EPF benefits for all employees and implementation of the principle of “Equal Pay for Equal Work”.
The association appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Secretary and other senior officials of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration to intervene and address the matter at the earliest. Protesters maintained that their demands are linked to the welfare and financial security of employees responsible for implementing rural development programmes across the islands.
The employees reiterated that the strike would remain in force until a favourable response is received from the administration. The ongoing protest has brought renewed attention to concerns surrounding compensation, service conditions and employee welfare under the MGNREGA framework in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
