Vijay Inder Singla alleges Centre is undermining MGNREGA, shifting burden to states

Mangaluru: Congress Working Committee member Vijay Inder Singla on Monday accused the Narendra Modi-led central govt of systematically weakening the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a village-centric scheme meant to support the rural poor.Addressing reporters here, Singla said the Centre was tightening funds for MGNREGA by turning it from a demand-driven programme into a supply-driven one, thereby pushing a significant share of the financial responsibility onto state govts."The new Act — Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM G Act) — replaces the demand-based, uncapped funding model with pre-determined budgetary allocations for each state. There are many govt of India programmes with the cost-sharing ratio of 10:90, where state govts had to invest only 10%. Now the MGNREGA has been shifted to the 40:60 cost-sharing model, transferring the financial burden on states. It is not possible to generate employment under the scheme without adequate funding from the Centre. How can the BJP claim that the VB-G RAM G Act would increase guaranteed man-days of job from 100 days to 125 days without sufficient funding? The Modi govt wanted to scrap the MGNREGS by reducing the budgetary allocation ever since it came to power. However, the funding was restored later only due to the pressure from the opposition," he said.Singla pointed out that under the new Act, proposals need to be submitted only once a year, and the decision on funding rests entirely with the Centre. "The state govts would oppose the new Act as they are required to bear 40% of the cost. Those minor works that were carried out earlier under the MGNREGS will not be possible under the new Act," he said.To a query, Singla said the opposition members opposed the bill immediately after it was tabled. "With the govt having a majority, it has already been passed in both houses of Parliament and it has received the assent of the President. However, the opposition will carry out protests across the nation against the new Act," he said.Referring to the National Herald case, Singla said the Union govt was misusing investigating agencies. Delhi police registered cases of cheating and criminal conspiracy against senior "Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case. However, a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the ED's chargesheet against them," he said.To a query on the ongoing power tussle in Karnataka Congress, Singla said he would not like to comment on the issue.

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