Fear of corruption exposure, not concern for workers, behind opposition to VB-G RAM G: Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar

Jakhar said that VB-G RAM G had been framed to plug corruption under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that despite funds, workers were not getting adequate employment earlier and that work was being routed through contractors and commissions were being passed on to politicians or others involved.

“The fact is that VB-G RAM G has been designed to stop the corruption that was happening under MGNREGA, where the poor were not getting workdays. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann launched ‘Yudh Nasheyan Viruddh’ (war against drugs), which has completely failed. Through VB-G RAM G, our aim in Punjab is ‘Yudh Bhrashtachar Viruddh’ (war against corruption). Once the files are opened, corruption in previous MGNREGA projects will come out, and people will know which politicians enjoyed money meant for the poor,” he alleged.

Jakhar said Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had highlighted over 10,000 corruption cases under the MGNREGA from Punjab, but the state government had failed to act on even one. “The larger issue is that corruption will now end and real work will happen in villages, which is not being digested by AAP or Congress leaders,” he added.

‘At least, people can say Ram now’

Responding to objections over renaming the MGNREGA, Jakhar defended the new nomenclature. “Anyone who has not read about Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy and lifestyle can raise a finger on the name. Gandhiji always began meetings with Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram bhajan and used to say ‘Gaon mein baste hain Ram’ (God resides in villages). If the Congress was so concerned about the name, why did they use an abbreviation like MGNREGA earlier, where people did not even know the full form? At least now, people can say Ram now, and rival political parties have an objection to that. The replacement of the MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G is to stay strong on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi,” he said.

‘Spend less on various sahabs’

Jakhar delivered his address in a mix of Hindi, Punjabi, and the local Bhagria dialect to connect with the masses. He said that in the current financial year, a budget of Rs 1,320 crore had been allocated under VB-G RAM G. “The Punjab government can send a Rs 2,000-crore scheme and get village development works of any kind done by contributing only Rs 600 crore, while workers will get 125 days of wages. They should spend less on advertisement campaigns and on the expenditures of various sahabs—Kejriwal sahab, Sisodia sahab, Jain sahab and so on,” he remarked.

Criticising the state government for calling a special Vidhan Sabha session against the scheme, Jakhar said, “Bhagwant Mann and the real CM Arvind Kejriwal should thank Modiji for bringing a scheme for all-round village development.”

Referring to a question raised in the Assembly about Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar’s political affiliation, he said, “They asked which party Sandeep Jakhar belongs to. I want to say he belongs to a party that lives in the hearts of the masses.”

Sandeep Jakhar, who won the Abohar seat on a Congress ticket, is the nephew of Sunil Jakhar. The Congress suspended Sandeep in June 2022 after his uncle quit the party and joined the BJP.

Targeting the AAP, Jakhar said, “If they are so concerned about workers, why did they give an average of only 26 days of work under MGNREGA in Punjab this year? In Fazilka, it was just 17 days. Eating the poor’s money is a sin.”

Jakhar said that the masses were misled about VB-G RAM G and that the BJP was therefore reaching out to the public about the benefits of the scheme.
The BJP state chief said villagers were now saying they made a mistake by voting the AAP to power. “It has become ‘aage se pichhle bhale’ (things have gone from bad to worse). If anyone can save Punjab, it is the BJP under Narendra Modi. Give the BJP a chance,” he said.
BJP leaders said similar programmes would be held across the state. Former cabinet minister Surjit Jayani and many others also addressed the gathering on the occasion.