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Punjab Congress to start statewide stir over MGNREGA from Jan 8
Punjab state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the agitation would be rolled out in phases, starting with press conferences across Punjab, followed by a mass mobilisation to oppose what he termed the Centre’s move to dismantle a ‘lifeline for rural India.’
The Punjab Congress has announced a statewide stir ‘Save MGNREGA’, beginning from Gurdaspur on January 8. The decision was announced by Punjab state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring at a press conference here on Monday.
Warring said the agitation would be rolled out in phases, starting with press conferences across Punjab, followed by a mass mobilisation to oppose what he termed the Centre’s move to dismantle a ‘lifeline for rural India.’
He said the Congress had already taken up the issue at the national level and that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had held a special meeting to chart out a nationwide campaign against the BJP-led Union government’s move to replace MGNREGA.
“This move mirrors the BJP’s approach during the three black farm laws, which were eventually withdrawn after sustained protests by farmers,” Warring said.
Calling the proposed replacement of MGNREGA a ‘black law,’ the PCC chief alleged that the BJP was attempting to snatch away the livelihood of lakhs of rural poor and marginalised families.
Warring also trained his guns on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, accusing it of failing to effectively implement MGNREGA in the state. He said that during AAP’s tenure, only about 42% of the mandated work had been provided under the scheme. Further, he alleged that this failure stems from the state government’s inability to contribute even its 10% matching share, against the Centre’s 90%.
Meanwhile, former CM and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi slammed the Centre for quelling right to a job under MNREGA in rural areas. “First, the Centre has reduced its share in MGNREGA funding through this legislation, putting a financial burden on the state governments to contribute 40% of their share. Under the new Act, the government has made major alterations, mainly reducing the scope of work for the MNREGA workers,” he said.
