JOIN USThough Union Rural Development Minister C P Joshi may refuse to comment on this, there is a buzz that the popular programme will get a new name on August 20, the birth anniversary of the former prime minister. “I do not want to comment on this. If it happens, it will be known to all,” Joshi said.
However, his deputy, Pradeep Jain, already admitted that there is a move in the ministry to name the flagship programme.
The NREGS—launched in 2006 by the previous UPA government led by Manmohan Singh—has put the Congress-led government at the Centre in a tight spot as the opposition-ruled states are taking credit of success of the scheme.
The Congress top brass is under pressure from its party leaders to change the name at least by prefixing Rajiv's name before NREGS. In all probability, it will be called Rajiv Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, sources told Deccan Herald here.
Many states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where opposition parties are at the helm, have virtually hijacked the 100 per cent centrally sponsored scheme by taking up massive campaigns by putting their leaders’ portrait to publicise the scheme’s success.
In UP, the BSP-led Mayawati government has already kick-started a campaign by putting her portrait in posters.