Chennai: AIADMK on Friday staged a state-wide protest defending the Union govt’s move to replace MGNREGS with VB G RAM G.AIADMK leaders accused the DMK govt of ‘derailing’ VB G RAM G ,which promised 125 days of guaranteed rural employment. The agitation comes days after the DMK and its allies held protests against the Union govt for replacing MGNREGS.Deputy leader of opposition R B Udhayakumar, who took part in the protest at Thirumangalam, accused the DMK of running a “misinformation campaign” that the rural employment guarantee scheme was being scrapped. He said while the earlier scheme assured 100 days of work, VB G RAM G promises 125 days of work. Udhayakumar faulted the DMK for failing to fulfil its poll promise to expand the scheme to 150 days, raise wages to 300, and extend coverage to town panchayats. “With the govt nearing the end of its term, they have not fulfilled the promise yet,” he said, alleging that in several places the scheme effectively shrank to 40 days and that wage payments were irregular. On the other hand, MGNREGS was implemented in a proper manner during the time of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa as well as her successor Edappadi K Palaniswami.Senior leaders K P Munusamy, S P Velumani, and C Ve Shanmugam, among others, participated in the protests in their respective districts.
