Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has said that corruption and administrative mishandling under the previous Congress-led regimes necessitated revamping the MNREGA and rechristening it as Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission — Gramin (VB G RAM G).
Addressing a media conference at the CMO here Wednesday afternoon, Sharma said that the Centre’s stance that the new version of MNREGA, based on the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is far better, more beneficial to farmers, the labourers, and to the ruralites and effective in bringing about sustainable development by way of works of permanent value.
He said the phased out scheme had the provision of providing to the needy one 100 days’ employment while VB G RAM G will give 125 days man-days, this also gives powers to the states to suspend the ongoing works for sowing and harvesting so that the workers engaged in work could get additional works in agricultural fields for extra earning. Thus this would be beneficial for farmers as well as the workers engaged at scheme works.
This will not simply mustroll based drill, rather a more systematic and institutional structure that would plan works of permanent value on the recommendation made by the villagers at the gram sabha, he added.
“The amended Act also addressed issues related to no payment or less or delayed payments as it has provision of mandatory weekly payment. In the situation of delayed payment, the worker will get interest for a period of non payment. It automatically weeds out corruption and cropping up of lapses or inaction, which were rampant under forged mustrolls in the previous Congress regimes. However, the leadership of the grand old party did not relish this situation and continued to mislead with a falsehood-centric negative plank that would not work to their gains,” the chief minister contended.
“I can only assure all concerned that in VB G RAM G, the government has made greater scope for surety in employment and permanent utility of the work for sustainable long term rural development. The Opposition’s propaganda about cut in the fund allocations for the programme is also fake, Sharma said adding “The Centre just wanted to ensure efficient participation of the states in the programme.”
Contrary to fake claims for fund curtailment, the Centre has made an additional allocation of Rs 17,000 crore, CM Sharma quipped.