MGNREGA debate in LS: Congress taunts Centre saying 'Forced to laud scheme', BJP rebuts

While India faces severe job loss due to COVID-19 lockdown, the Centre on Friday informed the Lok Sabha that the job demand under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has come down from 6 crore to below 2 crore, amid discussion on 'Supplementary Demands for Grants 2020-21'. The MGNREGA had seen a massive demand as migrant workers travelled across the nation amid lockdown, with state government using the Act to employ the additional manpower. The Lok Sabha has passed The Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2020-21 & The Demands for Excess Grants for 2016-17.

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Congress-BJP lock horns on MGNREGA

The Congress - whose flagship scheme is the MGNREGA - taunted the Centre for seeking an additional Rs 40,000 crores for MGNREGA. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that BJP used to say 'MGNREGA marega', but is now forced to laud it, as it has been helped to save lives. He also pointed out that 2 crore salaried employees have lost their jobs and 14 lakh workers have no work, questioning how the Centre can expect growth. 

Hitting out at Congress, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that launching MGNREGA is one thing and using it effectively is another. According to CAG (Comptroller & Auditor General of India), MGNREGA funds were sent in ghost accounts, claimed Sitharaman. Similarly, Trinamool MP Prof Saugata Roy encouraged that the government should allocate more funds to schemes like MNREGA, instead of 'selling airports'.

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PM Modi on MGNREGA

Recently, addressing a Bihar poll rally, PM Modi bereaved the loss of senior RJD leader and former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and highlighted the letter sent by him to CM Nitish Kumar regarding MNREGA. Urging the CM to fulfill those recommendations, he said that Singh - who was former Minister for Rural Development and conceptualized the MNREGA scheme - had conveyed his concern for the development of Bihar and its people in the letter. The scheme was passed in September 2005 under the UPA government by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household for unskilled manual work.

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