‘RAM G Bill will weaken MGNREGA,’ says Priyanka, calls Modi govt obsessive over renaming

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attacked the government over its bill to replace MGNREGA, saying that it stands to “weaken” the original Act’s guaranteed 100 days of employment to the poorest of the poor.The Congress general secretary also said she does not understand the Modi government’s “obsession” with renaming schemes.”Firstly, the process of renaming schemes costs a lot of money to the country, so I don’t understand why they are doing it,” Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.Second, MGNREGA guaranteed 100 days of employment to the poorest of the poor, but the new bill will weaken this right under MGNREGA, she said.The government has added two or three things to the bill that superficially suggest an increase in the number of working days.”But has the wage rate been increased?” She asked. “For so many years, you (government) have been reducing funds for MGNREGA, wherever one goes, labourers will say money has not come,” Priyanka Gandhi said.Earlier, the gram panchayat used to decide the work to be done under the scheme, but this bill gives the Centre that right and where funds are to be allocated, she said.”So the right of the gram panchayat to decide where to allocate funds and where to get the work done is being snatched away.So from all perspectives we feel this bill is wrong,” Priyanka Gandhi said.The Congress has strongly objected to the bill that seeks to replace MGNREGA.It said erasing Mahatma Gandhi’s name shows how “hollow and hypocritical” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gestures of paying homage to the Father of the Nation are.



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