The AIALA Bihar Unit called for militant protests at all District HQs on 15 July on the issue of payment of dues and unemployment allowance in case jobs were not provided. As part of the statewide protest programme, AIALA demonstrators marched through Darbhanga town, entered Vikas Bhavan, the office of the DDC, who is also the NREGA District Coordinator, and gheraoed the DDC’s car, raising slogans.
Leaders of CPI(ML) and AIALA addressed a mass meeting there, and said that tens of thousands of job-card-holders had applied for work through struggles led by AIALA, and AIALA had a record of these. But the financial year of 2007-08 had ended in March, yet not a single day’s work had been provided to most of them. Yet, they have not been paid any unemployment allowance. Those workers who got work under NREGA have not got their due wages for more than a year in many cases. NREGA workers even caught tractors being used in violation of the NREG norms – but no action was taken against them.
A delegation of CPI(ML)-AIALA leaders met with the DDC and presented a 11-point charter of demands. An ultimatum was given to the District Administration that a ‘Krishi Hartal’ (Agricultural Strike) would be held on July 23.
At Samastipur, a large number of agricultural labourers led by AIALA and CPI(ML) leaders held a demonstration at the DM’s office, and a delegation met the DM to submit a memorandum. At Madhubani, protestors held a dharna at the District HQ. Protest programmes were also held at district HQs at Ara, Jehanabad, Arwal, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Aurangabad, Siwan, Gopalganj, and West Champaran.
