Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote to Gram Pradhans, ex-Gram Pradhans, Rojgar Sevaks and MGNREGA workers, accusing the Centre of planning to “destroy the soul” of the MGNREGA.
Congress leaders alleged that the right to work and the right to wages of the MGNREGA workers will be “stolen”.
In the letter, Rahul and Kharge backed the MGREGA, stating that the scheme has generated 180+ crore days of work and aided the rural economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Twenty years ago, Manmohan Singh’s Government brought life to the constitutional Right to Work by enacting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Since then, MGNREGA has generated 180+ crore days of work, created almost 10 crore assets like village tanks and roads, and strengthened the Panchayati Raj system by empowering Gram Panchayats to decide village-level projects. During crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the lifeline of the rural Indian economy,” the letter read.
Further, slamming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, they alleged that under the VB-G RAM G Act, work will ‘revdi’ (freebie) be handed out by the Centre by “picking and choosing” Gram Panchayats.
The Congress leader said, “The Modi Government is now planning to destroy the soul of the MGNREGA in four critical ways – Your Right to Work is being stolen. Before: Work was a legal guarantee to every rural family across India. Work had to be provided within 15 days to any family seeking work in any Gram Panchayat. After: Work will no longer be a right but a ‘revdi’ to be handed out as the Modi government decides. The Modi Government will pick and choose which Gram Panchayats will get work under the scheme.”
