Traffic on the Puducherry-Villupuram highway was affected for over one and half hours following road blockade by the local residents demanding work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
People from five villages of Thirubuvanai, Periyapet, Chinnapet, Thirubuvanaipalayam and Indira Nagar had registered for the 100 days work under the scheme, but were not provided work at the Thirubuvanai tank, which is being desilted.
The protestors claimed that other people were favoured and provided work based on recommendation, while they were left in the lurch.
In the past six months they have been given work only for five days, according to police. A total of 400 scheduled caste and 450 other caste people registered for work of desilting at the Thirubuvanai tank.
However, due to the late coming of some supervisory officials for past one week, only 300 were taken for the work and the remaining were sent back.
The protestors also alleged that the wages for the work done earlier are still pending with the authorities.
Revenue officials and officials from Block Development Office rushed to the spot and after assuring the protestors that work would be provided to them under the scheme, the road blockade was withdrawn.
A V Veeraghavan of Congress committee from the area said that for the year 2011 - 2012, Central government has released Rs 31.26 crore, but alleged that only Rs 13.5 crore was utilized in providing work for the rural people.
“The scheme for providing rural employment has been ruined by the territorial administration,” Veeraghavan said. No authorities were reachable for comments.
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