Politics · India Bureau
Congress attacks Modi government over rural employment guarantee scheme decline
The opposition Congress party has alleged the government is dismantling MGNREGA, the rural employment guarantee programme, as job card holders in parts of Uttar Pradesh reportedly lose confidence in a new employment mission. Party officials cited departmental statistics showing the trend.
LSN India ·
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has intensified criticism of the government's approach to rural employment schemes, sharing a media report highlighting declining participation in employment programmes among job card holders in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh.
Ramesh characterised MGNREGA, the flagship Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, as a "lifeline of the poor," asserting the government has effectively dismantled the programme. The Congress leader alleged the administration conspired to eliminate the employment guarantee provisions to promote alternative initiatives.
According to reports cited by the Congress, job card holders in the district are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), a newer central government employment scheme. The trend is reflected in departmental data tracking programme participation and worker engagement.
The criticism underscores ongoing political tensions over rural employment policy, with opposition parties challenging the government's pivot toward new schemes and questioning the adequacy of support provided to agricultural workers and rural labourers seeking guaranteed employment opportunities.