Chandigarh: Punjab rural development minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Saturday wrote to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeking the regularisation of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) employees under the newly-introduced VB-G RAM G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission) scheme and urging the Centre to formulate a uniform national policy guaranteeing their job security.Reaffirming that the AAP govt stands firmly with over 2,100 MGNREGA employees in Punjab, the minister questioned the Centre’s decision to shift the financial burden of the new scheme onto states while leaving employees’ future uncertain. He demanded the immediate release of pending salaries, and asserted that employees who have strengthened rural development programmes for nearly two decades cannot be abandoned after 18 years of service.Addressing a press conference, Sond said, “This is a very sensitive issue, and it is entirely related to the BJP-led Centre. However, all the opposition parties, whether it is the Congress, the Akali Dal or the BJP in Punjab, are trying to divert the issue and mislead people so that the entire matter is blamed on the Punjab govt.”He added, “The MGNREGA scheme was introduced in India around 2005 under an Act through which the Central Government was to provide employment to every household. The scheme has been implemented in Punjab for nearly 18 years, and employment has been provided to people in villages under this Act.”He said to provide employment under this scheme, around 2,000 to 2,100 employees, including technical assistants (TAs), Gram Rozgar Sahayaks (GRSs) and computer operators, have been working under this completely Central govt scheme for the last 18 years.Sond said, “Instead of taking care of these employees and regularising their services, not only in Punjab but across the country, the BJP-led Centre discontinued the existing MGNREGA scheme and announced that a new scheme would come into force from July 1.”Raising questions over the decision, Sond said, “The biggest question is how the hard work put in by these employees over the last 18 years can be wiped out in a single moment. They worked under a Central govt Act and a Central govt scheme for all these years. The Punjab govt had no role whatsoever in this scheme.”The minister added, “The salaries of these employees were paid entirely by the central government because it was a 100 percent Central govt scheme. But instead of protecting their rights, the Centre discontinued the scheme, forcing nearly 2,100 employees to sit in protest.”He further claimed, “The employees have made it clear that they do not want to shift tothe new scheme because after serving for 18 years, they have no certainty aboutwhen they will be regularised. Their demand is justified.”Sond said, “I want to make it absolutely clear that the Punjab govt led by of CMBhagwant Mann, the entire council of ministers stand firmly with these 2,100employees who have been working under the Central govt’s MGNREGA scheme. Westand shoulder to shoulder with them. The Centre has openly violated theirdemocratic rights by making them work for 18 years and then discontinuing thescheme.”The Minister asserted, “As Punjab’s Rural Development and Panchayat Minister, Ihave written to Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Through this letter, I want to tell theCentral Government that it should wake up, recognise the rights of theseemployees and regularise them after the years they have devoted to a CentralGovernment scheme.”In his letter, Sond has said, “The Govt of India has abruptly discontinued the MahatmaGandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and, in its place,launched the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)scheme on July 1. Under this new scheme, the financial burden has been shiftedby the Union Government to all the State govt across the country.Referring to protests by the employees, the letter added, “The Punjab govt supports their demand. At the same time, it urges you to make aprovision under the new scheme for the regularisation of all these employees.This is not an issue confined to Punjab alone. Employees across the country arefacing the same situation. We demand that the Union Government providepermanent employment to these employees across the country. The Punjab govt standsfirmly with them in this regard.” MSID:: 132482110 413 |
