Congress brought rural job scheme to help the poor, says Minister

The then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre brought the repealed rural job scheme to help the poor but the BJP is destroying it, claimed Minister for Women and Child Development Laxmi Hebbalkar in Uchagaon on Monday.

“By renaming the now repealed rural job scheme and by changing the basic terms and conditions of the scheme, the BJP-led NDA government is insulting Mahatma Gandhi. It has taken the soul out of the scheme. For 20 years, the scheme helped rural poor get guaranteed employment, ensured that men and women got equal and competitive wages and helped stop migration. Most importantly, it empowered them to demand work as a matter of right. But the BJP government has changed all that. We need to rise up against this,” she said.

She was speaking after interacting with job scheme workers at a worksite in Uchagaon.

“Then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi introduced a Constitutional amendment to introduce the Panchayat Raj system and decentralised powers and funds to rural local bodies. He enabled the gram panchayats to plan their future and to identify beneficiaries in the village itself. The Manmohan Singh government strengthened the Panchayat Raj system by bringing in the erstwhile job scheme. But today, the purpose of the scheme has been subverted by giving a new name to it in a way that misleads the people. It has also compromised the movement for nation-wide job security,” she said.

The new scheme takes away the power of gram panchayats and concentrates decision-making in Delhi. The erstwhile job scheme helped people even during crisis situations like COVID-19 lockdown, she claimed.

The BJP’s aim is to help only big businessmen, she claimed and said that they have no concern for the poor. While the Congress introduced schemes for the poor, the BJP is ending them, she said.

She challenged BJP leaders to name at least one scheme that benefits the people. She warned of a State-wide protest against the changes brought to the erstwhile job scheme.

Community leader Neelkanth Mama and others felicitated the Minister.

CADA president Yuvaraj Kadam, Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Yashwant, leaders Madhura Terase, Balakrishna Terase, Yadu Kambale, Anasuya Kolakara, Rupa Gondali, Bharathi Jadhav, Yogita Desai, Smita Khandekar and others were present.