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Activists, villagers protest ‘Viksit Bharat - G Ram G’ Bill in Palamau
Rights activists protested in Palamau against the ‘Viksit Bharat - G Ram G’ Bill, claiming it undermines MGNREGA and threatens laborers' rights and democracy.
Rights activists and locals joined hands protesting in front of the Kanda Gandhi Ashram in Nava Bazar block of Palamau district against the introduction of the ‘Viksit Bharat - G Ram G’ Bill in Parliament, which aims to replace MGNREGA.
At the programme organised by Gram Swashasan, social activist Jawahar Mehta, associated with NREGA Watch, said the new Bill would bring an end to the very soul of the 2005 Act that promised a minimum of 100 days’ manual job every year to unskilled labourers demanding work.
Unlike the existing Bill where the scheme is for the entire nation, under the new Bill it will be implemented in rural areas notified by the Centre, and the work budget for each state will be determined by the Centre.
“Under MGNREGA, the Centre had to bear the entire wage cost, but in this new Bill, the central and state government’s share is 60:40, which is set to burden the state governments. Under the existing Act, the scheme will be implemented as a Centrally-sponsored scheme,” said Mahto.
Social activist Sudhir Kumar Singh said through this Bill, the Centre wanted to snatch power from Gram Sabhas (village councils), labourers, and states, and concentrate it in its own hands, which was against the spirit of the constitution and democracy. The soul of MGNREGA had been removed from this Bill, he alleged.
Anil Paswan, associated with the Gram Swashasan campaign, said the Bill took away the democratic rights and constitutional guarantees won by the struggles of workers and common people.
James Herenz, convener of Jharkhand chapter of NREGA Watch said the clause to freeze work for 60 days during agricultural activities is like pushing the labourer towards bonded labour regime.
“The government wants to push the landless labourer to become bonded labourer once again in the fields of zamindars. The fact that the Gram Sabha won’t have the power to identify and select work under the scheme is like killing democracy at the grassroots,” said Herenz, underlining they would launch mass agitation against the proposal in coming days.
