AMRITSAR: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded the anti-poor Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB G RAM G) law which replaces the central government funded Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA) guaranteeing 100 man days labour to the disadvantaged be withdrawn immediately.
Putting across an impassioned argument for the repeal of the new law which replaces MGNREGA while addressing a press conference here, the SAD president criticised both the name change as well as the decision to change the character of the employment guarantee scheme by making States responsible for putting up 40 per cent of it’s cost. “The scheme was earlier named after the father of the nation - Mahatama Gandhi who freed India from British rule. Playing politics and changing its name is not right”. Mr Sukhbir Badal also criticised the central government’s decision to make Centre - State contribution 60:40 respectively in the new scheme, saying States resorting to financial bungling or misusing funds like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, would not be able to implement the same leading to suffering to the poor and downtrodden.
Giving an example to buttress this statement, Mr Badal said both the previous Congress and well as the present Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had ruined the financial health of Punjab. “Due to this the AAP government is not able to put its share in various schemes, including the Health and Family Welfare sector, preventing medical services from reaching all sections of society”. He said tomorrow in case the AAP government did not put its share in the VB G RAM G scheme Punjabis would be most affected. He also criticised the central government’s decision to curtail the scheme during certain periods, saying the man days on which the scheme would be available to the poor would be further reduced.