Explain stand on new rural employment Bill, Stalin tells AIADMK

Chennai, Dec 17 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday claimed the "100 days work scheme" was facing a threat of being halted and dared the opposition AIADMK to explain its stand on the proposed new rural employment bill.

Stalin sought to know the official stance of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on the Centre's move to repeal the employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGA, named after Mahatma Gandhi.

The DMK has been opposing the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, (VBGRAMG), which seeks to repeal the MGNREGA.

"Does he (Palaniswami), who sports a green shawl and blatantly betrays farmers, not see them again? What is the opposition AIADMK's stand on the VBGRAMG that deals a blow to the rural poor," the CM asked in a post on the social media platform ‘X.’ He sought to know if Palaniswami will support the latest move of the Centre like he had backed the three erstwhile farm laws and the CAA.

"In MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), they have removed the name of Gandhiji and named it (the new bill) in Hindi. Why hesitate to oppose this, despite bearing Anna (former Chief Minister C N Annadurai), who opposed Hindi, in your party's name," Stalin, also the ruling DMK chief, asked in the post.

All the conditions for the scheme were under the control of the central government, though the funding was made by the state government.

"Does the AIADMK accept this without any objection. Would your (late) leader J Jayalalithaa have agreed to this," Stalin asked.

In an apparent reference to the MGNREGA, he alleged that the "100-day work scheme" faced the danger of being stopped in Tamil Nadu "as a punishment for the achievement in eradicating poverty." The people of Tamil Nadu wanted to know if the AIADMK would back the Centre's move again, he said. PTI JSP JSP SA