 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 9: AICC General Secretary Incharge JK affairs Dr. Sayeed Naseer Hussain, MP has said that the new VB- G RAM-G Act replacing the fundamental feature of legal guarantee to work under MGNREGA and aimed at weakening Gram Sabhas & Panchayats by snatching decision making from them, burdening states with 40% sharing of funds, thus bound to fail the rural job Scheme, which provide 5 to 6 crore jobs to rural poor annually.
Addressing a press conference at PCC HQ here today along with PCC President Shri Tariq Hameed Karra, AICC Secretary Divya Maderna, Working President Raman Bhalla, Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, Sr. Leader and Former Minister Mula Ram, DCC Presidents Jammu Urban Yogesh Sawhney and Jammu Rural Neeraj Kundan, Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain lashed out Modi Govt. for the move to replace the biggest Rural employment scheme - MGNREGA, which provided legal guarantee for jobs to every rural household on demand within 15 days, failing which employment allowance was payable under Act..
The new VB-GRAM-G scheme removes the fundamental features like legal guarantee to work besides centralized decision making with Centre Govt, weaken Gram Sabha and Panchayat, shifts burden of 40% funds to states instead of earlier 10%, budget capped allocations, restrictions on work during peak agricultural scams, diluting wage safeguards, thus would lead to reduced employment, suppressed wages and increase rural stress, he added.
MGNREGA had been a corner stone of rural livelihood security, providing employment to 5-6 crore households annually, reducing distress migration, raising rural community wages and creating durable assets. Its demand driven design, assured wages and direct bank payments have particularly benefitted women, Dalits, Aadivasis and marginalized sections with women accounting for nearly 60% of workdays. |
