Ratia, January 9: All India Congress Committee General Secretary, former Union Minister and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja said that the central government's weakening of MNREGA is a direct attack on the rights of the poor, laborers, and rural India. She said that amidst claims of a 'developed India', the ground reality is that work is being snatched away from people and the guarantee of employment is being gradually eliminated. She was speaking to villagers and party workers in the Ratia constituency today. ??She was accompanied by DCC President Jaipal Singh Lali, senior Congress leaders Arvind Sharma, Mangatram Lalwas, Surender Vartia, Women's Wing President Paramjit Kaur, Sudhir Godara, and other leaders.
Kumari Selja said that during the UPA government, when Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, a historic scheme like MNREGA was implemented. This scheme guaranteed 100 days of assured employment to the rural poor and played a significant role in lifting millions of people out of poverty. Even during the difficult times of the COVID pandemic and other disasters, MNREGA proved to be the biggest support for the poor and laborers.
She alleged that the current central government has systematically weakened MNREGA. Earlier, employment was provided upon request in the villages, but now the situation is such that state governments have to send proposals to the center, and even then there is no guarantee of getting work. Delays in payments and budget cuts are eroding the trust of the laborers.
Kumari Selja said that the idea of ??removing Mahatma Gandhi's name also reflects the same mentality, whereas Mahatma Gandhi's dream was to make villages self-reliant, and MNREGA was a powerful means to achieve that vision. She informed that to save MNREGA and to expose the truth of the central government's policies to the public, the Congress has decided to launch a phased movement in all the states.
In this regard, in the first phase, she will hold press conferences in Fatehabad and Sirsa tomorrow to elaborate on the issue of weakening MNREGA. Kumari Selja clarified that the Congress party will fight this battle for the rights of the poor, laborers, and villagers with full strength, and any attempt to abolish or weaken MNREGA will be stopped through democratic means.
A large number of Congress leaders were present on this occasion, including Manjit Singh, Jagjit Singh, Bishnoi Jalopur, Congress leader Dev Raj Hadoli, Gurdeep Singh Chahal, Paramjit Kaur, and Jagraj Singh.