In a scathing critique of the Modi government’s handling of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted the current dismal state of the scheme. He emphasized that the MGNREGA, which was enacted by the Congress-led UPA government in 2005, is now a mere shadow of its former self, standing as a testament to PM Modi’s “betrayal” of rural India.
Kharge pointed out that despite the significant number of active workers – 13.3 crore in total – relying on the MGNREGA, they face challenges such as low wages, inadequate work days, and the deletion of job cards. The Budget allocation for the scheme has hit a decade-low, with just 1.78% of the total budget allocated, contributing to a suppression of work demand.
Furthermore, Kharge criticized the government’s deletion of seven crore workers’ job cards and highlighted the insufficiency of daily wages, which have seen minimal increases despite high inflation rates. The Congress president reiterated the party’s commitment to providing a National Minimum Wage of Rs 400 per day. Overall, he emphasized the need for urgent action to address the plight of rural India and restore the MGNREGA to its intended purpose.
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