Punjab Assembly: Resolution against VB-G RAM G Act brought to '€˜spread falsehood'€™, says BJP MLA

Chandigarh, Dec 30 (PTI) BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma on Tuesday said the AAP government's resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act in the Punjab Assembly in the name of Dalits and labourers seeks to "spread falsehood" and "create an illusion" in the minds of people.

At the same time, the Congress attacked the Bhagwant Mann government for convening special sessions instead of regular sessions of the assembly, saying they serve no legislative purpose.

The AAP government had called a one-day special session of the assembly to oppose the VB-G RAM G Act.

During the session, the assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, accusing the BJP-led Centre of taking away the livelihoods of the poor and Dalit labourers by scrapping MGNREGA as part of a "deliberate conspiracy".

The House recommended that the Punjab government demand that the Centre immediately restore the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ( MGNREGA), which has been replaced by the new Act.

When the resolution was passed in the House, none of the two BJP MLAs was present in the House.

Participating in the discussion on the resolution, Sharma, the MLA from Pathankot, targeted the AAP dispensation for not ensuring 100 days of employment for workers under MGNREGA.

The resolution has been brought in the name of Dalits and workers to "spread lies" and "create an illusion" in the minds of people, he said.

The AAP government provided only 26 days of employment under MGNREGA, he claimed, adding, "It would have been good if the state government had provided 70 to 90 days of employment." The BJP legislator asked the government how many people were given unemployment allowance for not being provided guaranteed employment under MGNREGA.

Speaking about alleged irregularities under MGNREGA, he asked what is wrong if the Centre wants to ensure transparency.

Sharma asked what is wrong if the number of employment days has been increased from 100 to 125.

Meanwhile, Congress MLAs attacked the AAP government for convening special sessions of the House instead of regular sessions.

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that by not calling regular sessions, the AAP is depriving MLAs of opportunities to raise issues of people through Question Hour and Zero Hour.

He questioned the effectiveness of the special sessions. In the last four years, the shortest possible sittings of the House have been held, he claimed.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said nothing will come out of this session too.

On the VB-G RAM G Act, Congress MLA Pargat Singh said under the new law, there will be a burden of Rs 30,000 to 50,000 crore on states.

In Punjab, the poor got employment for just 38 days in the last three years, as against 100 days guaranteed under MGNREGA.

Cabinet minister Aman Arora said the original law was demand-driven, guaranteeing work according to the workers' needs.

"Now, it has been made supply-driven. The Centre will decide which state, district, block and village will get work. They have ripped out the very heart of the guaranteed employment," he said.

"In Punjab alone, we have around 30.20 lakh job card holders. If you promise them 125 days at Rs 346 per day, the required budget is over Rs 13,062 crore.

"With 15.5 crore job card holders nationwide, guaranteeing 125 days of work at Rs 346 per day would cost a whopping Rs 6.70 lakh crore -- roughly equivalent to India's entire defence budget. If the Centre is promising this in the upcoming budget, only then can we believe its guarantee. Otherwise, it is a cruel hoax," Arora said.

On corruption under MGNREGA, the minister said these scams happened during the SAD-BJP and Congress regimes.

They siphoned off money, but the AAP government recovered Rs 2 crore of public money and took strict action against 42 people, he said.

"Punjab has received Rs 11,700 crore under MGNREGA since 2005. In the 10 years of the Akali-BJP (2007-2017) regime, only about Rs 1,988 crore was utilised," Arora said.

In the Congress' five-year rule (2017-2022), Rs 4,708 crore was utilised under MGNREGA. In contrast, in the 3.5 years of the Bhagwant Mann government so far, Rs 5,131 crore reached the homes of the poor, despite the Centre withholding funds for months under the scheme, he said.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema objected to the renaming of the rural employment law, saying that using a religious name for a government scheme is a political tactic to shield the government from criticism.

"This sets a dangerous precedent where protesters seeking wages or rights can be labelled as being disrespectful to religious sentiments," he said. PTI CHS DIV DIV