BJP has lost the right to speak after walking out of the session
BJP doesn’t have courage to talk about VBGRAMG
Bengaluru, Feb 4: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the Centre has snatched the employment rights and life of self-respect of rural labourers by scrapping the MGNREGA scheme.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council in support of the resolution tabled by the CM against VBGRAMG, he said, “The new legislation entails labourers working with the contractors. How can the Centre decide on Panchayat level works while sitting in Delhi? Apparently, they will use AI in decision making. This is not practical.”
Support CM’s resolution against VBGRAMG
“The resolution introduced by the CM against VBGRAMG is valid. We will fight against this legislation the same way the protests forced the Centre to revoke Farm laws. We will continue our fight until the new legislation is revoked. The resolution has the support of all legislators of the ruling party. The BJP has lost the right to debate this as they walked out of the House,” he said.
“The MGNREGA scheme had provision for farmers to work in their own farms or build homes if they were not comfortable working in someone else’s farm. In 2013-18, we completed MGNREGA works worth thousands of crores in Kanakapura constituency. As many as 40,000 agricultural ponds, 54,000 cattle sheds, 9300, drainages, 9000 rural roads, 4200 canal development, hundreds of check dams were built under MGNREGA. Ramanagar district was given an award for the work it did under MGNREGA,” he added.
Impossible to implement the new scheme
“It is impossible to implement this scheme even in BJP governed states. Which state can afford to pay 40% of the contribution in the new scheme? If the farmers are not allowed to work in their farm, will they go and work in others’ farms,” he noted.
“The MGNREGA scheme provided employment guarantee. The BJP had ample time to discuss VBGRAMG scheme introduced by the Centre, but they do not have the courage to talk about it. I want them to talk about this at least outside the House,” he said.
Intervening when Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Chalawadi Narayana Swamy, the DCM said, “Who needs employment guarantee? The objective of the scheme was to support a life of self-respect for the farmers. The scheme should allow them to work in their own farms, not under the contractors. Please explain where the new scheme allows employment guarantee.”
