Accusing the Centre of effectively dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on Thursday said Himachal Pradesh would face an additional financial burden of around Rs 164 crore under the proposed Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB-G RAM G) scheme.
Addressing the media, Singh said the estimated liability includes wage payments and administrative expenses for providing 250 lakh man-days of employment under the new scheme. He pointed out that Himachal Pradesh had generated 395 lakh man-days under MGNREGA last year and warned that the state would be unable to match that figure under the proposed framework due to budgetary constraints.
“The budget allocated by the Centre under the new scheme will not allow us to provide employment beyond 250 lakh man-days. We will have to artificially suppress demand, which will adversely affect people who depend on the scheme for their livelihood,” he said.
The minister also alleged that the Centre had not released around Rs 20 crore meant for administrative staff engaged under MGNREGA. As a result, salaries of the scheme’s administrative personnel have reportedly remained unpaid since February.
He further claimed that workers would receive lower wages under the new scheme. While MGNREGA provided daily wages of Rs 247 in non-tribal areas and Rs 309 in tribal areas, the state government had enhanced this to Rs 320 through a top-up. Singh said the proposed scheme contains no provision allowing states to provide such additional wage support.
