NEW DELHI: Congress MP Sonia Gandhi strongly criticised the central government's budgetary allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during a post-budget debate in Parliament on Tuesday.
Gandhi, speaking in the Upper House, argued that the current administration has weakened the program, which was originally enacted by the UPA government under Dr. Manmohan Singh. "I am deeply concerned that the present BJP government has systematically undermined the scheme, and the budget allocation remains stagnant at Rs. 86,000 crore," Gandhi stated.
She further said that the actual allocation has decreased by Rs. 4,000 crore. "Moreover, estimates suggest that nearly 20% of the allocated funds will be used to clear pending dues from previous years," she added.
The Congress MP also highlighted several challenges facing the MGNREGA scheme, including the mandatory Aadhaar-based payment system, the National Mobile Monitoring System, persistent delays in wage payments, and wage rates that fail to keep pace with inflation. She called for increased funding to sustain and expand the program, demanding a minimum wage of Rs. 400. Additionally, she urged the government to eliminate mandatory requirements such as the Aadhaar-based payment system and the National Mobile Monitoring System.
She also advocated for increasing the guaranteed workdays under MGNREGA from 100 to 150 per year. She asserted that these measures are essential to ensure the program provides dignified employment and financial security to millions of rural poor.