Hatred for Mahatma and dislike for people’s welfare reason for dismantling of MGNREGA: MK Stalin

Hatred for Mahatma Gandhi and the dislike for people’s welfare is the reason for the Modi Government dismantling the MGNREGA, a 100-day employment guarantee programme for the rural poor, christened after the father of the nation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin charged on Saturday, puncturing the claim that the new scheme, VG B – RAM G, would provide 125 workdays.

“The Union BJP government had dumped the MGNREGA, which remained the backbone of the rural economy and replaced it with a new one. They are doing this since they have hatred for the Mahatma and a dislike for the people’s welfare,” he said, addressing a government function at Karaikudi in Sivaganga district.

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“More than 65 lakh families in Tamil Nadu have benefitted out of the MGNREGA till last year, with Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore provided to the rural poor as salary. But under the new scheme, it is doubtful whether half of it would come. Moreover, we cannot decide on workdays since those above would decide everything. Further, States would have to bear 40 per cent of the cost,” he pointed out, adding that it’s a major assault on the States.

To substantiate his charges against the VB G – RAM G programme, Stalin cited the questions former Finance Minister and Congress veteran P Chidambaram had posed on the President’s address. “The average number of days of employment provided to a household in recent years under MGNREGA was 50 days. Not because of lack of demand, but because sufficient funds were not provided. How will the average of 50 days magically jump to 125 days? The ‘125 days’ is not a guarantee. It is an illusion. Why stop with 125 days? It is a hollow promise, you might as well guarantee 365 days in a year,” he quoted Chidambaram, who was also on the dais.

Accusing the Modi government of relinquishing its duty and washing its hands of empowering the rural populace, the Chief Minister demanded that the MGNREGA be reinstated in the name of the Mahatma. The Tamil Nadu assembly had passed a resolution to this effect, he said and asserted that like the three farm laws and caste census, the Union BJP Government would be forced to backtrack.

Then, countering the criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor RN Ravi that Tamil Nadu is lagging in development, he asked them to go through the data provided by the Union Government itself, which attests to the fast-paced growth of the state.

”The Prime Minister is hurling unfounded charges for the sake of elections, and the Governor should question the Union Government,” he said and pointed out that the Economic Survey presented before the Union Budget was highly appreciative of Tamil Nadu, placing the state as the numero uno in employment generation in the manufacturing sector. It also credits the state as a pioneer in implementing schemes for the employment generation of women, he noted. “I request both the PM and the Governor to read the report,” he said.

Turning to the opposition AIADMK, he ridiculed its general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as ‘Palaniswami of ten successive electoral failures’ and accused him of releasing a manifesto which is a copy of the DMK previous poll pledges. The Chief Minister also criticised the AIADMK for not raising its voice for the interests of Tamil Nadu.