Bhopal: Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), introduced by the Congress-led UPA government, suffered from several serious shortcomings and failed to deliver meaningful rural development.
Addressing a press conference at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan alleged that despite substantial financial allocations from the Centre, funds under MGNREGA were neither properly utilised nor effectively monitored, leading to widespread misuse. He claimed the scheme gradually became synonymous with corruption, with work often being carried out by machines or contractors instead of labourers.
The Union Minister further alleged that inflated estimates, inaccurate valuations and repetition of the same work were common under the scheme. “These issues were under consideration for nearly a year. Ultimately, it was decided that the scheme in its existing form was neither effective for development nor beneficial for labourers. Therefore, a bill was brought to Parliament and passed into law,” he said.
Hitting out at the Congress and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Chouhan accused them of misleading people over the renaming of MGNREGA as ‘Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)’ (VB – G Ram G). He said the bill was debated for over eight hours in the Lok Sabha, but opposition members created disruptions instead of engaging in discussion.
“The dignity of Parliament’s decorum was torn to shreds during the debate,” Chouhan alleged, adding that the Leader of the Opposition remained absent during the discussion.
Chouhan said the new mission has been linked with the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti initiative to enhance effectiveness and ensure village-level development. He noted that the Act provides a clear provision for unemployment allowance, with necessary financial arrangements in place.
He added that technology has been deployed to ensure transparency from work allocation to valuation, while special provisions allow state governments to schedule work during peak agricultural seasons, such as sowing and harvesting. “The scheme is highly beneficial for labourers, village development and agricultural needs,” he said.
The Union Minister expressed surprise over a one-day session being convened in Punjab with an agenda to oppose a law passed by Parliament.
(IANS)
