HUBBALLI: Union Minister for Labour and Employment and MSME Shobha Karandlaje on Monday said changes made to the rural employment guarantee scheme through the new law,
Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission-Gramin (VB-G RAM G), could be amended further in the coming years, considering the flaws in its implementation, to effectively generate employment and create permanent assets in rural areas.
She said the new law was necessitated as complaints against MGNREGA were too many. Over 10.5 lakh different types of complaints, like fake job cards, using machines instead of human labour for work and misappropriation of funds, had been registered over the years. MPs from different parties, including from the opposition, commended the new law off the record, but are now forced to oppose it for the sake of opposing, she added.
She said PM Narendra Modi was thinking of changing MGNREGA from his very first term and entrusted the work to Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as he was chief minister during both UPA and NDA governments and was aware of flaws in its implementation. After consulting with all stakeholders, the Centre passed the Bill after adequate discussion, she noted.
Questioning Congress’ opposition to VB-G RAM G, she said if they are opposing it just over change in the name, it will not hold ground, but they have to clarify whether they favour faults in MGNREGA implementation and big pilferage of taxpayers’ money. The Centre has spent Rs 10.67 lakh crore under the scheme since its inception in 2005, while crores of rupees have been swindled, she added.
On increasing the states’ share to 40% under the new law, she said it is to make states more responsible while spending funds. She countered the state government’s claims that the law is against decentralisation and said gramasabhas are authorised to decide on works to be taken up at villages, and they do not need the approval from the government.
On the new four labour codes, she said they subsume 29 different labour laws, majority of which were from the British era. Also, the government is mulling widening benefits of social security facilities, like PF and ESIC, to gig workers, the minister said.
At an Awareness and Consultation Programme on Four Labour Codes, organised by the Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she said her ministry held extensive talks with all stakeholders, including trade unions and industries, leading to 95% consensus, while the remaining doubters would be convinced soon.
Though the labour codes were passed in 2020, the Centre tread a cautious path as it is a sensitive issue and listened to every opinion . It is still gathering opinions and observations from stakeholders and if any are legitimate, they would be added while framing the rules for these codes, which are the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code and the Code on Social Security, she said.
Special emergency cabinet meet on Jan 14
The Karnataka government has convened a special emergency cabinet meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday to discuss the VB-G RAM G Act. The State Government has been opposing the Act and in the last cabinet meeting, it had decided to go to the “people’s court” against repealing of MGNREGA