*Coalition betrays MGNREGS workers in AP: YSRCP*

Anantapuram, July 2: Former MP Talari Rangaiah said agricultural labourers in Andhra Pradesh have been pushed into severe distress under the coalition government, which has failed to safeguard the interests of MGNREGS workers. He said wage rates in the Telugu States remain among the lowest in the country, with the Centre increasing the daily MGNREGS wage in Andhra Pradesh by only Rs. 5 this year. While states such as Haryana, Sikkim and Gujarat offer wages exceeding Rs. 400–Rs. 450 per day, Andhra Pradesh workers receive only Rs. 308–312, well below the national average of Rs. 327.40, placing the livelihoods of nearly 47 lakh MGNREGS job card-holding families at risk.
Rangaiah said the “triple-engine government” had failed rural workers and stated that around 18 lakh job cards had already been removed from the State’s 47 lakh MGNREGS job cards for political reasons. He questioned why Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who also oversees the department, had not reviewed the implementation of the employment guarantee scheme despite claiming to stand for accountability. He said millions of poor workers were being ignored while public attention was diverted to other issues.
He further noted that labourers from Anantapur, western Kurnool, North Andhra and Prakasam districts are increasingly migrating in search of work due to inadequate employment opportunities and low wages. Demanding immediate intervention to protect agricultural labourers and ensure fair wages, Rangaiah announced that he would write to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee seeking corrective measures. He also criticized the coalition government for failing to improve basic infrastructure even after two years in office and called for urgent action to safeguard the interests of rural workers across Andhra Pradesh.