Chandigarh, Jan 1 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is misleading the people by making a false claim that Rs 23,446 crore is pending under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from the Centre, state BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said here on Thursday.

Launching a sharp attack on Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Sarin alleged that figures from the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (2024–2025) are being misrepresented. He said that while Cheema is “showing the first page of the report, the very next page of the same report clearly states that in 2024–25 there are no pending wage dues of MGNREGA workers in any state”.

Explaining the funding mechanism under MGNREGA, Sarin said the first instalment is released every year in the first half of April. Thereafter, once a state submits utilisation certificates in accordance with prescribed rules for the funds already received, the next instalment is released immediately.

However, he said that if a state fails to submit utilisation certificates as per the rules, the Central government cannot release the subsequent instalment under the provisions of the MGNREGA Act.

Sarin further alleged that out of 13,304 panchayats in Punjab, audits of 5,915 panchayats have not been conducted so far. He also claimed that 10,653 cases of fraud or forgery have come to light under the MGNREGA scheme, but the AAP government in the state is avoiding action in these cases.

“Whom is it trying to protect? Crores of rupees have been misused through fake cards,” he asked.

The BJP leader said information regarding alleged scams under the MGNREGA scheme had already been provided by party leaders to Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

He claimed that the Punjab government’s assertions are limited to statements, while the ground reality is completely different.

Targeting the AAP government over the atta-dal scheme, Sarin said a government which “calls itself a well-wisher of Dalits should clarify who withdrew the atta-dal scheme and why it was discontinued”.

He said that compromising with the rights of the poor cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Sarin further claimed that instead of providing 100 days of employment under MGNREGA, the Punjab government has provided only 36 days of work in the state.

Challenging the AAP government, Sarin said the BJP would expose what he described as the “lies” of the AAP government on every platform, and asserted that Finance Minister Cheema would have to place the correct figures before the people of Punjab.

–IANS

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