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Martyrs’ Day: MGNREGA restoration: HP Congress holds 2-hour symbolic fast
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday observed a two-hour symbolic fast at the historic Ridge ground in Shimla on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day, demanding the restoration of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in its original form and the withdrawal of the
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday observed a two-hour symbolic fast at the historic Ridge ground in Shimla on the occasion of Martyrs’ Day, demanding the restoration of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in its original form and the withdrawal of the
The Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) scheme.
Speaking to the media, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, “MGNREGA was the only scheme that generated employment opportunities during the Covid-19 period. The BJP government has finished MGNREGA. By finishing, I mean that while the name has been changed, its soul has been completely destroyed.” He added that panchayat representatives no longer have the powers they earlier enjoyed.
He added, “The BJP government has struck at the livelihood of rural youth, labourers, the poor and women who sustained their families through MGNREGA. Even elderly villagers who depended on this work have been hit,” Sukhu said. He alleged that under the new scheme, the Centre has imposed a 90:10 funding condition, whereas earlier the funding was entirely borne by the Centre, terming it “discriminatory against Himachal Pradesh.”
He said that small but crucial rural works such as kuccha roads, water tanks and other local projects have also been discontinued. “This is why the Congress party has observed a two-hour fast across the country today,” he added.
AICC in-charge and MP Rajani Patil said the party had decided to hold a nationwide agitation from January 15 to February 5. Patil said, “MGNREGA, which was the dream of Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh to guarantee work to the poorest, is being dismantled,” she said. She added that the symbolic fast at Gandhi’s statue reflected Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of truth and his call to “go to the villages.”
Fast a political gimmick: Jai Ram
Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, criticized the Congress government in a statement issued in Shimla, and said the Sukhu government’s fast in protest against the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB—G RAM G) is merely a “political gimmick to appease its high command”.
He said that this new law of the central government is a milestone in bringing transparency and eliminating corruption, with digitization and biometric attendance leaving no room for middlemen. “Corruption will be completely eradicated, and rural development will accelerate if work is done with transparency,” said Thakur.
He accused the CM of adopting double standards, saying that on one hand he talks about the rights of village heads, while on the other, under the guise of the Disaster Act, he has stopped Panchayat elections and handed them over to administrators. “Work has stalled everywhere, and the Panchayati Raj System, considered the village government, has been marginalized and reduced to a mere handing out of arbitrary orders. These actions of the Congress-led Sukhu government clearly show that the Sukhu government is shedding crocodile tears in the name of MGNREGA”, Thakur added.
Citing statistics, he explained that the Modi government increased the MNREGA budget from ₹33,000 crore to ₹90,000 crore and created more than twice the number of mandays compared to the Manmohan Singh government. He alleged that the Sukhu government is uneasy only because the new system guarantees 125 days of employment instead of 100 and ensures high-quality work with financial discipline.
G-RAM-G a transformative vision of Modi govt: Anurag
Dharamshala: Former Union minister and BJP MP from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur, while addressing public meetings in Jandaura and Chintpurni in the Jaswan-Pragpur assembly constituency on Friday, described the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G), as a visionary and transformative vision of the Modi government.
He said that this initiative is a historic step towards empowering workers’ welfare, rural employment, and the rural economy. Thakur said that the central government is implementing comprehensive reforms in MGNREGA, transforming it into the VB-G RAM G. In this regard, the BJP is conducting a nationwide campaign to inform the general public about the benefits of this new law. As part of this campaign, he apprised the villagers at both polling booths in the Lalsingi area of the district headquarters and at the Arniyala village centre about the features of the new Act. He explained that while previously 100 days of employment were provided, now 125 days of employment will be guaranteed. The wage payment period has also been reduced from 15 days to 7 days, and if there is any delay, the worker will be paid with interest. The new framework also ensures that workers have sufficient time for farming and that the work is expanded to meet the needs of rural areas.
He said that the maximum budget for MGNREGA during the previous UPA government was ₹33,000 crore, while the BJP government allocated ₹1.11 lakh crore for MGNREGA in a single year.
