“The present Union Government is dismantling pro-people laws to benefit corporate interests”: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed fears that the new law brought in place of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) by the Bharatiya Janata Party led Union Government would increase unemployment, reduce women’s participation in the workforce, intensify pressure on dalits and tribal families and lead to the collapse of rural livelihood.
Adding, the Chief Minister, said under the new law, panchayats will be reduced to mere implementing agencies and thereby will create a contractor driven system and Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal the new law.
He pointed out that under the new law under section 5(1), employment would be provided only in areas notified by the government, with no guarantee of work through gram panchayats. Wage employment would be unavailable for at least 60 days during peak agricultural seasons and inflation-linked wage revision has been removed under the new law.
Earlier, the Chief Minister said under MGNREGA, employment was guaranteed locally, enabling rural asset creation and strengthening village economies. Workers had a legal right to demand employment for at least 100 days a year. However, these guarantees have been removed under the new law by the Union Government.
“The present Union Government is dismantling pro-people laws to benefit corporate interests,” alleged the Chief Minister and accused the Union Government of “only achievement of the Union Government in the last 11 years has been changing the names of schemes (introduced by the Congress party when in power at the Centre). Nearly 30 pro-people schemes have either been renamed or withdrawn by the Modi led Union Government.”
Siddaramaiah stated the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is inspired by Manusmriti (a Hindu legal text) which advocates denial of economic independence to women, dalits and shudras and BJP ruling the Union Government is guided by RSS.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministers-Priyank Kharge, K.H. Muniyappa, Chaluvaraya Swamy, Lakshmi Hebbalkar among others were present.
