Congress is continuously attacking the decision of Modi government to change the name of MNREGA. After the reaction of Priyanka Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, now a long statement has been issued by the Congress Party. Congress has also raised questions on the mentality of the BJP government.
‘Their Godse killed Gandhi, now they are committing the sin of removing his name’
Congress posted on Facebook, “PM Modi has changed the name of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act to ‘Developed India Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural)’. Mahatma Gandhi was killed by his Godse and these sinners are committing the sin of removing his name. Not only the name has been changed, in fact the Modi government has changed this law guaranteeing the right to work, increasing the conditions and control of the Center – which is against both the states and the workers.”
‘The rural economy is being completely destroyed’
Congress said, “The MGNREGA which proved to be a lifeline for rural India, which gave people the right to work in villages and rural areas, which strengthened the rural economy – is being completely destroyed. MGNREGA was a scheme for unskilled laborers, whose budget was given by the central government. But now 60% of the burden of the budget will have to be borne by the central government and 40% by the state governments. This is an attack on the revenue of the states. People like Modi are misusing it against the state governments of the opposition. Will do it horribly.”
‘States will pay and Modi will get photographed’
Congress wrote, “In this New India, the states will pay and Modi will get photographed. MGNREGA was a scheme based on demand, now the conditions are applicable. MGNREGA was a scheme based on demand, if a laborer asked for work, the Center had to pay him by giving him work. In the new scheme, work will not be available on the basis of demand. Now work will be available only on the basis of pre-determined standards and budget allocation of the Centre. If the fund ends, then the rights end. If the work is more than the fund. If given, it will have to be paid by the state government.”
Taking aim at the Centre, the Congress wrote, “The legal guarantee scheme of employment has now been converted into a centrally run promotional scheme, in which the state will spend. Gram Sabhas and Panchayats will be sidelined. The work in MGNREGA was done through Gram Sabhas and Panchayats, which planned the work based on local needs. This further strengthened the Panchayats, the first link of democracy.”
The party said, “Now in the new scheme, GIS tools, PM Gati Shakti and digital network of the center are mandatory. Local priorities will now be filtered through the developed India National Rural Infrastructure Stack. In this, biometrics, geo-tagging, dashboards and AI audits are necessary. It is clear, those lakhs of rural laborers who do not understand so much technology will be deprived of work. Mandatory suspension of work for 60 days. The new scheme also includes suspension of work for 60 days every year in the name of weather. It is mandatory.”
Is it employment guarantee or wage control?
Congress said, “This means that this scheme is now legally telling the workers, don’t work, don’t earn, wait. Stopping the government work and pushing the workers to work in private farms is not welfare but it is supply of labor by the government which takes away from them their income, their will and respect. In reality, this new scheme means controlling the central government, forcing the states to spend, reducing the rights of the workers and putting conditions on it. Every Like last time, this time too this law is anti-poor.”
