Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 18 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government over proposed changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), describing the new Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB G RAM G) as a “deceptive ploy” that strikes at the livelihoods of the rural poor.
In a post on X, CM Stalin accused the BJP of undermining the flagship scheme while claiming to promote unity.
https://x.com/mkstalin/status/2001520193940640098?s=20
“The BJP, which claims unity, is striking at the stomachs of the poor; and Thiru Palaniswami is complicit in blowing the trumpet for it! In the #VBGRAMG scheme, 125 days of work is nothing but a deceptive ploy! Even when there was a law guaranteeing 100 days of work, under the BJP regime, people received only 20 to 25 days of work. They deceived the people by not releasing the wages and project expenses on a monthly basis. It was a pathetic situation where we had to fight to get even that pending amount,” CM Stalin wrote.
“Now, after the rules were changed to say that officials can provide work only if they wish, under the Union government’s discretion, even one or two days of work is becoming rare. Tamil Nadu is going to suffer a major financial loss in fund allocation. The condition that states must bear 40% of the project cost is a burden imposed on state governments facing severe financial crisis after the #GST tax changes; it’s a punishment!,” post added on X.
Stalin termed it an “unforgivable act” for Palaniswami to allegedly support the changes, which he described as “green treason” against rural women and poor agricultural labourers safeguarded by MGNREGA.
“It is an unforgivable act of green treason for Thiru Palaniswami to read the welcome address at the closing ceremony of the #MGNREGA scheme, which has been safeguarding the livelihoods of rural women and poor agricultural laborers!,”post added on X.
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday saw a nearly 14-hour debate over the VB-G RAM G Bill, with the Opposition demanding that the proposed legislation be referred to the Standing Committee, even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly defended the Bill, terming it a decisive step towards achieving a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Several Congress MPs strongly objected to the renaming of MNREGA and changes in the funding pattern.
Opposing the Bill, Congress announced a series of nationwide protests on December 17, accusing the BJP and RSS of attempting to “dismantle rights-based welfare” and replace it with charity controlled from the Centre. The party has directed its state units (Pradesh Congress Committees) to organise protests at all district headquarters. The demonstrations featured portraits of Mahatma Gandhi to symbolise resistance against the “erasure of his name and values.”
The Bill introduced by the Agriculture Minister in the Lok Sabha guarantees 125 days of wage employment per rural household, up from the existing 100 days, for adult members willing to undertake unskilled manual work.
As per Section 22 of the Bill, the fund-sharing pattern between the Central Government and the State Governments will be 60:40, while for the North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and Union Territories (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir), it will be 90:10.
Section 6 of the Bill allows the state governments to notify in advance, a period aggregating to sixty days in a financial year, covering the peak agricultural seasons of sowing and harvesting, when no work will be commenced or executed under the Bill. (ANI)
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