MGNREGA has come back to haunt BJP govt, says Congress

Launching an attack on the Central Government, the Congress party on Saturday said that Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has come back to "haunt" BJP, as some recent reports revealed a financial misappropriation of Rs 935 crore under this scheme over the last four years.

New Delhi: The Indian National Congress party, on Saturday, launched an attack on the Central government saying that the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has come back to "haunt" BJP, as some recent reports revealed a financial misappropriation of Rs 935 crore under this scheme over the last four years.

Congress quoted the data available on the Management Information System (MIS) of the Rural Development Ministry. In the Social Audit Units (SAU), the data of the fiscal year 2017-18 to 2020-21 revealed that out of the Rs 935 crore, only about 1.34% has been recovered so far.

"MGNREGA was introduced by the UPA government to eradicate poverty from India, and the current regime through Prime Minister referred to it as a living monument to the failures of Indian National Congress. MGNREGA became a lifesaver for the poor and marginalised during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. This same MGNREGA has come back to haunt BJP government today," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said during a press conference.

The Social Audit Unit carried out audits in 2.65 lakh Gram Panchayats across all states and union territories at least once between 2017-18 and 2020-21.

Khera asserted, "The most significant finding by the social audit unit was that the primary type of misappropriation in most cases was 'financially misappropriation' which is not limited to bribery, payments to non-existent persons, to vendors at inflated procurement prices etc."

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"The very fact that misappropriation is happening is a testament to the lack of accountability and due diligence by Modi government," he alleged, while quoting the data of financial misappropriation of Rs 245 crores in Tamil Nadu, Rs 12.34 crores in Bihar, Rs 51.29 crores in Jharkhand. He also mentioned that Rajasthan turned out to be the only state with zero misappropriation of MGNREGA funds.

"This reflects on the real intentions of BJP and the current dispensation while the economy of the country was seen a downward spiral, where prices of basic and essential commodities have been increasing on a daily basis. The government allowed and tactically participated in the misappropriation of Rs 935 crores of taxpayers money which was meant for the poor and marginalized of India," the Congress leader said.

He also slammed the Government for withdrawing a 4 per cent quota for Differently Abled Persons in Police Forces by calling the move "anti-people" and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

He further added, "With the rising crimes against women under this government, it is a shame that more than 90% of the reserved posts for women police officers have been kept vacant. We demand filling them on a war footing."