HYDERABAD/ WARANGAL: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao called upon party workers to organise protests at all district headquarters on Friday against the Centre’s ‘malicious misinformation campaign’ about the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the State.
Terming the Union government’s action as vengeful, Rama Rao said that the construction of agri-produce drying platforms under MGNREGS benefits farmers. He reminded that the Centre has allowed States with coastal lines to build fish drying platforms under the MGNREGS. He lamented that the Centre did not heed Telangana’s request despite bringing this to its notice.
Rama Rao said that the Centre was spreading misinformation by stating that the construction of the drying platforms is a diversion of MGNREGS funds. He said the Union government served a notice to the State asking to return Rs 151 crore spent on the construction of drying platforms under the scheme.
He said that the Union government is bent on maligning and conspiring against the Telangana government without considering that such works benefit farmers.He mentioned that despite multiple requests sent by the Telangana government on integrating agriculture and allied activities with the Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Centre did not consider it.
The Centre’s attitude prevented the State government from constructing an additional 79,000 drying platforms at an estimated cost of Rs 750 crore, Rama Rao lamented.The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government is attributing ill intentions to the State government’s efforts to further strengthen the agriculture sector, he added.
Dayakar Rao sees conspiracy
Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Hanamkonda, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao stated that the BJP-led Centre was conspiring to curtail MGNREGS in the State, which, he said, would impact the livelihood of many workers.
Despite the Centre saying that the State was ranked first in the implementation of MGNREGS, it was conspiring to reduce the extent of work, he alleged. The State has already faced a loss of Rs 800 crore due to the Centre’s constant obstacles, Dayakar Rao said, adding that the Centre was doing so to weaken the non-BJP-ruled States.
He said the MGNREGS has already been suspended in West Bengal for the last six months and that the Centre was sending teams to level false allegations against the government in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Punjab, which are incidentally ruled by opponents of the BJP.In 2014 and 2018, three Central teams visited Telangana to monitor MGNREGS works, but it was 18 teams this year, he added.
Several waterbodies have been dug up as part of MGNREGS in Telangana, which accounts for 11 per cent of all the works, but the same has been also been done in Andhra Pradesh (10 per cent), Gujarat (16 per cent), Chhattisgarh (18 per cent) and Punjab (20 per cent), he added.
Didn’t pay heed to TS’ requests: Min
Rama Rao said despite multiple requests sent by the State government on integrating agriculture and allied activities with MGNREGS, the Centre did not consider it. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government is attributing ill intentions to the State government’s efforts to further strengthen the agriculture sector, he added.