New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of systematically undermining of the rural employment guarantee scheme MGNREGA, and demanded raising of minimum wage under it to Rs 400 per day and the number of guaranteed workdays to 150 a year.
Raising the issue through a Zero Hour mention in the Rajya Sabha, Sonia Gandhi said the UPA government under then prime minister Manmohan Singh enacted the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2005.
“This landmark legislation has been a crucial safety net for millions of rural poor. However, it is deeply concerning that the present BJP government has systematically undermined the scheme,” Sonia Gandhi said.
She added that approximately 20 per cent of the current allocation would be used to clear pending payments from previous years.
Highlighting the significance of the scheme, Sonia Gandhi said, “MGNREGA was introduced during the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh. This historic law has been a crucial safety net for millions of people living in rural India.”
Sonia Gandhi pointed out several challenges affecting the scheme, including the mandatory Aadhaar-based payment system and the National Mobile Monitoring System.
She also raised concerns about delayed wage payments and inadequate rates that do not keep pace with inflation.
On behalf of the Congress party, she put forward several demands to strengthen MGNREGA. She said, budgetary allocation must be increased to ensure the scheme’s maintenance and expansion. She demanded daily minimum wage be raised to Rs 400, apart from the timely payment.
She also demanded to abolish the mandatory Aadhaar-based payment system and the National Mobile Monitoring System and an increase in the guaranteed workdays from 100 to 150 per year.
“These measures are essential to ensure MGNREGA continues to provide dignified employment and economic security to rural households,” Sonia Gandhi asserted.
The Congress party has urged the government to address these concerns and take steps to protect the integrity of the MGNREGA scheme.
