Congress holds day-long fasts across Rajasthan, slams Centre for 'dismantling' MGNREGA

Jaipur, Jan 11 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday staged day-long fasts across district headquarters in Rajasthan against the Centre's move to “dismantle” the rural employment scheme MGNREGA, and accused the BJP-led Centre of snatching the livelihood rights of the rural poor.

The demonstrations were held as part of the party's nationwide ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’, a mass outreach campaign against the Union government's move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Act, or VB-G RAM G.

State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, Congress in-charge for Rajasthan Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully took part in the protest at the Shaheed Smarak here.

Addressing the media, Dotasra alleged that the Centre has effectively scrapped MGNREGA by replacing it with a new framework that dilutes the legal guarantee for work.

“MGNREGA gave every rural poor the right to demand employment, failing which they were entitled to compensation. This strengthened the rural families economically and protected them from moneylenders,” he said.

The BJP is misleading people by projecting that the opposition is merely objecting to a change in name, Dotasra said.

“The reality is that the entire scheme has been dismantled. Under the new arrangement, there is no guarantee for work; employment will be provided only where the Centre decides, and only as per the budget allocated by it,” Dotasra claimed.

He also said that while earlier the Centre bore the full wage burden, the states have now been asked to shoulder 40 per cent of the cost.

“The BJP government is struggling to pay salaries, pensions and scholarships in Rajasthan. The state's debt has crossed Rs 1.25 lakh crore. In such a situation, bearing 40 per cent of the cost is impossible… The move is aimed at killing the scheme altogether,” he said.

Dotasra also accused the state government of not holding panchayat and urban local body elections, warning that this could lead to nearly Rs 3,000 crore in Central funds lapsing.

Pending MGNREGA dues make the implementation of the new provisions unviable, he claimed.

The VB-G RAM G Bill was passed with a voice vote amid protests in the Rajya Sabha on December 18 last year, hours after the Lok Sabha cleared it.

On December 21, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Bill, making it an Act, replacing MGNREGA, and guaranteeing 125 days of wage employment per rural household every financial year.

“The BJP has no concern for the poor. It writes off loans of industrialists but lacks the intent to allocate funds for rural employment,” Randhawa alleged.

Jully asked if the Rajasthan government is in a position to bear the 40 per cent share (cost) under the new Act, given the state's weak financial position.

“If states are forced to spend beyond the Centre's allocation, it is unjust. The Centre must immediately restore MGNREGA with its original provisions,” Jully said.

The Congress said the agitation would continue for 45 days, with awareness programmes planned from the district to the booth level. PTI AG ARI