Sultanpur (UP), Jan 10 (IANS) Around 2.89 crore voters’ names were removed from the draft electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Uttar Pradesh. After this, the main opposition Samajwadi Party, has launched an attack on the government. UP Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar targeted the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party over this.

Speaking to reporters, Rajbhar said, “Akhilesh ji is an educated person. He knows very well that he will not return to power again. He has already become Chief Minister due to the hard work done by his father and uncle. Everyone knows that around 86 lakh voters across the state have been identified as deceased. If their names are still present in the voters’ list, how can they be retained? Only Akhilesh can bring them back from heaven; this is not something we can do.”

He further said, “Similarly, around 2.23 lakh voters have shifted from villages to cities and have settled there. These people got their names registered both in the village and the city voter lists. The Election Commission has fixed a standard that a voter’s name can be registered at only one place. Now Akhilesh can explain to the Election Commission that voters’ names should be kept at both places.”

Praising the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G scheme, Rajbhar described it as a reform-oriented process. He said, “MGNREGA has been renamed as ‘Viksit Bharat–G RAM G’ with the objective of establishing it not merely as a rural employment and welfare scheme, but as a development-linked guarantee in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”

He added that the Act aims to modernise rural employment while addressing old shortcomings of MGNREGA. “It focuses on technology-driven transparency, strong accountability, sustainable resources, and long-term rural productivity. The assured employment provided to every rural family has been increased from 100 days to 125 days. Moreover, 60 days have been reserved for farming households. In this way, the Act guarantees 185 days of work, which has now become a legally defined right,” he said.

The minister further stated that employment has been divided into four sectors: water security, rural infrastructure, livelihood assets, and climate protection. “Farmers’ interests have been safeguarded. If employment is not provided within 15 days of submitting an application, the individual will be entitled to an unemployment allowance,” Rajbhar added.

–IANS

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