By IANS,
Ranchi : Social worker Swami Agnivesh Tuesday supported several social organizations’ demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of social worker Lalit Mehta who was working on an audit of the rural job guarantee scheme.
“Today I met Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and demanded a CBI probe in the killing of Mehta,” Swami Agnivesh told reporters after participating in a rally organized here by the social groups.
Mehta was killed May 14 while he was on his way to Palamau district for social audit work of the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme.
“The NREG scheme is the first of its kind in the world and it has been hijacked by mafia elements,” Swami Agnivesh said.
“In the past too, people of Jharkhand have been exploited and were forced to work as bonded labourers. In 1983, we launched an agitation to end the practice of bonded labour in Palamau district.”
Social activists under banner of the Daman Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti (DVSS) have been holding a sit-in demonstration at the Albert Ekka roundabout here, demanding a CBI probe into Mehta’s killing.
“Mehta was involved in social audit work of NREG. He was killed by people who were involved in corruption. In the NREG scheme people are not getting jobs despite having job cards. There is large-scale corruption,” said Kiran, a member of Action Aid – a development organisation working with the most poor and marginalised communities.