R'sthan trying to make MGNREGA toothless: Activists

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has come under fire for suggesting that the Centre change the MGNREGA into a scheme, prompting angry responses from labour activists who said the alteration would only help states shirk responsibility, as a “scheme” is not imperative.

Raje is said to have written a letter in this regard to Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Various labour organisations and activists have opposed the move and accused the state government of acting against the interest of more than 50 lakh active NREGA job card holders in the state.

“It’s shocking. NREGA was the result of constant struggle of millions of unorganised labour force. We will not allow any government to tamper with the act. We will start a nationwide agitation again,” said Nikhil Dey, a social activist working with Suchna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan. “We may agree on other suggestions but changing the Act into a scheme is beyond our imagination,” he added.

Labour activists have decided to write a letter to Raje asking her to change her stand, and write another letter to the Union government to find how many other chief ministers have given similar suggestions.

“We want to know whether an atmosphere is being created across the country to change the Act into a scheme,” said Nikhil.

Labour activists said if the Act becomes a scheme, state governments and bureaucrats will not be accountable or answerable for guaranteeing the jobs and paying the wages. Besides, the jobs will be provided according to the whims and fancies of local officials. Labourers will end up in the same situation they faced 12 years ago.

Meanwhile, Raje’s letter to Gadkari contains several suggestions. “It’s a moot issue why rural employment should be guaranteed by the act, why such employment cannot be delivered or even guaranteed as a scheme. It’s difficult to see advantages of an Act. It only leads to increased litigation,” it said.

“People are filing cases because they are not getting wages for the work they did under the NREGA. The Act has empowered them to do so. The rest of the cases are against corruption. But the government and bureaucrats do not want any kind of accountability,” said  Kavita Srivastav of PUCL.

The BJP is acting in an authoritarian manner and is not even consulting people of the state nor initiating any debate before making such suggestions, she added.