Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday attacked the government in the Lok Sabha over the MNREGA scheme. He took a jibe at PM Narendra Modi without naming him, saying that some people used to criticize this scheme. A few years ago this scheme was made fun of, but due to this during the Corona period, crores of poor got help in time. He said, “The MGNREGA scheme was ridiculed by many people a few years back. But when the lockdown was imposed during its corona period, it worked to provide timely help to crores of poor. It played a positive role in saving the government.
Along with this, Sonia Gandhi also questioned the cut in the budget allocation of MNREGA scheme. She said, ‘I demand from the central government that the budget should be allocated for the MNREGA scheme. Its payment should reach the workers’ accounts within 15 days of work. If there is any delay, then they should compensate for it. Sonia Gandhi also pointed out the corruption in MNREGA scheme. He said that the state governments should be told that their annual plans will not be approved until and unless they conduct social audit.
Sonia Gandhi said that Lokpal should be appointed to audit the works of MNREGA scheme. He said that there should be a social audit of this scheme, but poor laborers should not be punished by stopping the payment. This scheme of the UPA government was criticized by PM Narendra Modi in the initial phase. However, after this the scheme continued continuously and during the Corona period people could get immediate employment in the villages. Especially in UP and Bihar, this scheme worked to help the poor during the Corona period.
PM Modi had said – MNREGA is a monument to the failure of UPA
MGNREGA is a living monument of your failures. If this situation is there even after 60 years of independence, then it shows how the Congress worked to eliminate poverty. You make people dig pits and then give them money in return. I am not going to discontinue this scheme, I will continue it with gusto.