Through PTI
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday attacked the Centre over its implementation of the UPA-launched MGNREGA, alleging that the Modi govt is “killing off” the scheme via chopping budgets and delaying bills, making it very tricky for rural employees to have the benefit of it.
Chairman All-India Unorganized Employees and Workers Congress Udit Raj stated the Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Rural Employment Ensure Act, 2005, (MGNREGA) used to be enacted via the Congress-led UPA govt to verify no less than 100 days’ employment to rural employees.
He alleged that Top Minister Narendra Modi “by no means appreciated this scheme” and “vilified it at the flooring of the Parliament”.
“The Modi govt used to be compelled to depend on this nice welfare scheme throughout the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 and 2022. Had MGNREGA now not existed, consider the plight of rural unorganised employees throughout Covid,” Raj stated at a press convention on the AICC headquarters right here.
“PM Modi by no means admitted his mistake, and is now killing off the scheme via chopping budgets, delaying bills and introducing stipulations just like the Nationwide Cell Tracking Machine (NMMS) app and Aadhar-linked financial institution accounts which can make it very tricky for rural employees to have the benefit of it,” he alleged.
The Congress chief stated in step with revised estimates 2020-21, throughout pandemic instances, Rs 1,11,500 crore used to be allotted to the MGNREGA, which stored the lives of crores of folks.
“Then again, even this allocation used to be now not sufficient to offer 100 days employment to the body of workers to be had within the nation. Since then, the price range has been lowered once a year — this 12 months, it’s been lower to Rs 60,000 crore, about part of the height, or even not up to sooner than the pandemic,” he alleged.
Lately, about 15 crore families are concerned on this scheme, however now the price range has been lower even not up to 5 years in the past, Raj claimed.
He stated state governments also are discovering it arduous to proceed MGNREGA works because of acute scarcity of budget.
Many states are drawing near the central govt over and over for the pending arrears, however it’s turning a “deaf ear”, Raj stated.
“Many of the states in India aren’t the usage of 100 consistent with cent of the budget and corruption on the native stage may be very top. Within the unique scheme, subject matter value used to be to not exceed 40 consistent with cent in any gram panchayat. This used to be to make certain that the scheme is most commonly for employees, now not contractors. In 2016, the Modi govt modified the unit the place 60:40 ratio used to be obligatory to the district. After the bottom unit has been modified, misuse is rampant in lots of puts,” he claimed.
The Congress chief additionally stated the Modi govt mandating using ‘Nationwide Cell Tracking Machine (NMMS)’ software for attendance is “forcing” the employees to mark attendance between 7 to ten AM and within the afternoon 2 to five pm.
Each employee now should have a smartphone, “however many can’t find the money for dear smartphones particularly girls, Dalits and Adivasis, they usually will not be now not tech savvy additionally”, he stated.
“There also are many problems in rural spaces – now and again, cell isn’t charged, electrical energy is unavailable, web connectivity isn’t to be had or the server is down. In such instances employees can’t paintings for the entire day,” Raj claimed.
“Another approach the Modi govt is killing the scheme is via forcing Aadhaar-based Fee Machine. It is a very difficult device, and the federal government’s personal information presentations that 57 consistent with cent of employees don’t use it,” he stated, including that in consequence, employees who paintings aren’t getting paid.
Raj stated the federal government will have to both give smartphones to employees or scrap the NMMS app.
“It will have to additionally right away compensate all employees who’ve misplaced their wages because of technical mistakes, and beef up transparency and duty via open muster rolls and social audits,” he stated.
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday attacked the Centre over its implementation of the UPA-launched MGNREGA, alleging that the Modi govt is “killing off” the scheme via chopping budgets and delaying bills, making it very tricky for rural employees to have the benefit of it.
Chairman All-India Unorganized Employees and Workers Congress Udit Raj stated the Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Rural Employment Ensure Act, 2005, (MGNREGA) used to be enacted via the Congress-led UPA govt to verify no less than 100 days’ employment to rural employees.
He alleged that Top Minister Narendra Modi “by no means appreciated this scheme” and “vilified it at the flooring of the Parliament”.googletag.cmd.push(serve as() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );
“The Modi govt used to be compelled to depend on this nice welfare scheme throughout the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 and 2022. Had MGNREGA now not existed, consider the plight of rural unorganised employees throughout Covid,” Raj stated at a press convention on the AICC headquarters right here.
“PM Modi by no means admitted his mistake, and is now killing off the scheme via chopping budgets, delaying bills and introducing stipulations just like the Nationwide Cell Tracking Machine (NMMS) app and Aadhar-linked financial institution accounts which can make it very tricky for rural employees to have the benefit of it,” he alleged.
The Congress chief stated in step with revised estimates 2020-21, throughout pandemic instances, Rs 1,11,500 crore used to be allotted to the MGNREGA, which stored the lives of crores of folks.
“Then again, even this allocation used to be now not sufficient to offer 100 days employment to the body of workers to be had within the nation. Since then, the price range has been lowered once a year — this 12 months, it’s been lower to Rs 60,000 crore, about part of the height, or even not up to sooner than the pandemic,” he alleged.
Lately, about 15 crore families are concerned on this scheme, however now the price range has been lower even not up to 5 years in the past, Raj claimed.
He stated state governments also are discovering it arduous to proceed MGNREGA works because of acute scarcity of budget.
Many states are drawing near the central govt over and over for the pending arrears, however it’s turning a “deaf ear”, Raj stated.
“Many of the states in India aren’t the usage of 100 consistent with cent of the budget and corruption on the native stage may be very top. Within the unique scheme, subject matter value used to be to not exceed 40 consistent with cent in any gram panchayat. This used to be to make certain that the scheme is most commonly for employees, now not contractors. In 2016, the Modi govt modified the unit the place 60:40 ratio used to be obligatory to the district. After the bottom unit has been modified, misuse is rampant in lots of puts,” he claimed.
The Congress chief additionally stated the Modi govt mandating using ‘Nationwide Cell Tracking Machine (NMMS)’ software for attendance is “forcing” the employees to mark attendance between 7 to ten AM and within the afternoon 2 to five pm.
Each employee now should have a smartphone, “however many can’t find the money for dear smartphones particularly girls, Dalits and Adivasis, they usually will not be now not tech savvy additionally”, he stated.
“There also are many problems in rural spaces – now and again, cell isn’t charged, electrical energy is unavailable, web connectivity isn’t to be had or the server is down. In such instances employees can’t paintings for the entire day,” Raj claimed.
“Another approach the Modi govt is killing the scheme is via forcing Aadhaar-based Fee Machine. It is a very difficult device, and the federal government’s personal information presentations that 57 consistent with cent of employees don’t use it,” he stated, including that in consequence, employees who paintings aren’t getting paid.
Raj stated the federal government will have to both give smartphones to employees or scrap the NMMS app.
“It will have to additionally right away compensate all employees who’ve misplaced their wages because of technical mistakes, and beef up transparency and duty via open muster rolls and social audits,” he stated.
