Thiruvananthapuram Dec 18 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday strongly criticised the Union government for pushing through a Bill in the Lok Sabha that, he said, undermines the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), calling it an unjustifiable and anti-people act.

In a Facebook post, Vijayan alleged that the Sangh Parivar-controlled Union government was effectively challenging farmers, agricultural labourers and the rural poor across the country through the proposed changes.

He said altering the name and structure of the scheme formed part of a broader ideological agenda, claiming that the move reflected a fear even of Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy.

The Chief Minister accused the Centre of evading its constitutional responsibility to employ while shifting a substantial financial burden onto the states.

He expressed serious concern over a provision in the Bill that allows the scheme to be frozen for up to 60 days during peak agricultural seasons, describing it as disastrous and harmful to rural livelihoods.

Vijayan also criticised the government for ignoring Opposition demands to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny.

He pointed out that even constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had raised concerns over the Bill, but the Union government remained unwilling to reconsider its approach.

According to the Chief Minister, the latest move was part of a sustained effort by the NDA government to weaken MGNREGS.

He said that since assuming office, the Centre had consistently reduced budgetary allocations to the scheme and introduced measures that diluted its effectiveness, and was now attempting to dismantle the programme itself.

Describing the approach as a complete withdrawal from the Union government’s constitutional obligation to guarantee employment, Vijayan recalled that MGNREGS became a reality during the tenure of the first UPA government, largely due to pressure from the Left.

He added that any earlier reluctance on the part of the Congress in implementing the scheme should now be abandoned.

The Chief Minister called for the emergence of strong public opinion against the Union government’s move, warning that any dilution of MGNREGS would have serious consequences for rural employment, social security and federal financial stability.

–IANS

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