Slugfest on 10 yrs of rural job scheme

Jaswinder Singh Baidwan

Akhran da mureed
Staff member
The 10th anniversary celebrations of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) today set off a political slugfest with the NDA government saying it has “transformed” the UPA’s flagship rural jobs scheme giving it record funds to boost economic growth, while Rahul Gandhi mocked PM Narendra Modi.
Launching an annual “Master Circular”—a compendium of all circulars, advisories and instructions issued by the Centre to the states in the past with regard the scheme — at “MGNREGA Sammelan”, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said his government implemented it more “purposefully”.
He allayed apprehensions allegedly stoked by Opposition parties that his government would either scrap or replace the scheme. “My government not only took it forward, but increased the funds for it,” he said. The government allocated Rs 37,000 crore for the scheme during the current fiscal year, the biggest amount for it so far. “More funds will be provided to rural jobs scheme as this was basically a demand-driven programme,” he added.
BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said, “The schemes have been successful, but because of corrections brought by the NDA government.” Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit out at the BJP, saying it was “never tired” of criticising the scheme launched by the UPA government and were now selling it as if it was their “gift” to the nation.
 
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