‘BJP diluting rural job scheme’: Chhattisgarh Cong. stages protest

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government of weakening the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by replacing it with Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G-RAM-G), the Opposition Congress held a gherao for the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Tuesday (March 2).

Senior party leaders were present at the protest over changes to the employment guarantee scheme and local issues such as “electricity tariff increases, betrayal of farmers, non-fulfillment of promises regarding paddy procurement, rising gas cylinder prices, deteriorating law and order and cultivation and trade of drugs within the State”.

Addressing the meeting, AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Sachin Pilot, claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Center intends to stop the employment guarantee scheme. “Earlier, 90 per cent of the funds for the scheme were distributed by the Central government. Now they have imposed a funding ratio of 60:40 on the US. Also, the decision-making authority regarding execution of various projects such as construction of fields, threshing floors, wells and ponds has been taken away from the gram panchayats,” he said.

Former Prime Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed that the scheme has helped millions of families get jobs and the BJP is actively working on it. to take away these rights and Deprive people of their rights and powers.

Earlier, Congress MLAs, including Mr. Baghel and Opposition Leader Charan Das Mahant, had raised the issue in the Assembly and moved an adjournment motion. The adjournment motion was not allowed by the Speaker, following which the Congress MLAs went on strike.