Madhulika has written about an ongoing struggle where government and contractors on government projects were not paying laborers minimum wage. After months of struggle, now, the laborers have finally received minimum wages.

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After almost 4 months of struggle for minimum wages, the contractors, teachers and PWD officials were forced to pay the legal (though always less than rightful) share of the workers in their homes. About 70 workers in 4 villages got their wages for 1-4 months of construction work. In 3 of the villages, the payment was made in the presence of the Sangatan Karyakarthas.

Village - Bheelon ka Kheda:

The teachers managed to make the villagers believe that the labourers had gone to Chittorgarh and wrongly complained to the authorities that they were beign paid 50/- while they were given 60/-. The school construction was also stopped by the Panchayat Samiti and the workers were blamed for that also.

A series of village meetings and heated arguments between the teachers, workers and us finally made the villagers empathize with the workers.

On 18th of May, 3 teachers and the contractor came to the village and paid out the wages to 19 workers.

Villages - Magarda & Manji Ka Guda:

The contractor said he wanted to pay the wages, but asked the labourers to come out of their village to a central place about 3km.He did not want other workers in the area to know that the Magarda workers won their case against the contractors. We refused and said any money to be paid has to be paid infront of the whole village.

On the 24th of May, the sub-contractor Berulal and PWD engineer came to the home of the Bheels in Magarda and paid the wages.