In a sharp political counter-attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab has strongly defended the central government's decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin). This comes a day after the Congress party censured the move.
Allegations of Widespread Corruption Under MGNREGA
Addressing a party-led awareness campaign in the Sujanpur assembly constituency of Pathankot district on Friday, Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma launched a fierce assault on the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He alleged massive corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA across the state.
Sharma claimed that nearly 10,000 corruption cases had surfaced in Punjab's approximately 13,000 villages under the old scheme. He accused the opposition parties of betraying the state's poor, workers, and farmers. "The same road was repeatedly shown on paper — up to 10 times — to blatantly loot the government exchequer, while no development was visible on the ground," Sharma alleged.
He further stated that large-scale fraud was committed in recording workers' attendance, with the hard-earned income of labourers allegedly ending up in the pockets of political leaders and contractors.
Promises of the New Viksit Bharat Guarantee Scheme
Contrasting the past with the future, Sharma outlined the benefits of the newly introduced Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin). He emphasized that the new legislation would provide 125 days of employment to workers, an increase from the 100 days offered under MGNREGA.
A key feature, according to the BJP leader, is the implementation of biometric attendance systems. "With the implementation of biometric attendance, corruption will be curbed, as only genuine workers will be entitled to wages," Sharma asserted. He suggested that this transparency is what makes the Congress and AAP uneasy about the new policy.
Broader Political Attacks on AAP Government
Sharma did not limit his criticism to the MGNREGA issue. He also targeted the ruling AAP government in Punjab on other fronts. Raising the issue of a viral video involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and remarks by Delhi opposition leader Atishi, Sharma said their comments had hurt the sentiments of Sikhs and Punjabis. He demanded an unconditional public apology from both leaders.
Furthermore, the BJP leader accused the AAP government of failing on its promise regarding sand mining. He alleged that the slogan "sand belongs to the landowner" was merely an election gimmick. Sharma claimed that no farmer has been allowed to extract sand, while AAP MLAs and leaders have collected crores of rupees through illegal mining activities.
The event was attended by MGNREGA workers, BJP activists, and village panches and sarpanches, marking a direct outreach to the rural electorate amidst the ongoing political debate over employment guarantee schemes.
