Punjab resolution against new job law political, devoid of facts: Saini

Talking to reporters, Saini said if the Congress had any genuine suggestions, they should have raised those in the Lok Sabha. Instead, he alleged, they avoid debate, shut down discussions, and walk away without answers. Calling the Congress “an expert in spreading lies”, he alleged that the opposition is “misinformation”. “People of the country and the state have seen Congress’ face and understood its character,” he said.

“The INDI Alliance people should tell the country’s labourers and workers what facilities were available during their time, how corruption took place, how workers did not get due benefits…The absence of biometric authentication and effective monitoring made it impossible to verify whether registered workers were genuine or whether wages reached the intended beneficiaries. As a result, funds were routinely siphoned off,” he claimed.

Targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Saini said the resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act reflected political opportunism rather than concern for rural welfare, as it neither cited any data nor offered a single constructive suggestion. Saini said Mann should have clearly read the Act and accused the opposition parties of “deliberately misleading the public on an issue that concerns the livelihoods of crores of rural workers and farmers”.

Instead of political theatrics between the Congress and the AAP, Mann should ensure Punjab pays Rs 400 wages like Haryana, instead of the current Rs 339, he said.

The Haryana chief minister claimed that when Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Punjab, many MGNREGA workers complained to him that they were not getting their due and said “contractors are embezzling the money”.

Citing a social audit conducted in 5,915 out of the 13,304-gram panchayats in Punjab, he said it revealed “10,663 cases of financial irregularities, including illegal withdrawals in the name of road and canal cleaning”. Despite these findings and intervention by central teams, no recovery was made, and no action was taken against those responsible, he further alleged.

“Public money meant for labourers continued to be diverted, while genuine workers were left unpaid,” Saini said.

The fundamental overhaul of MGNREGA will support genuine labourers “betrayed” by the previous governments, with more guaranteed workdays, higher wages, transparent payments and creation of durable assets, the Haryana chief minister said.

Adding that the new Act will replace an outdated structure, he also said it will put an end to the corruption and inefficiencies. “The MGNREGA, launched nearly two decades ago, was conceived in a different economic and social context. Like all public welfare schemes, it required reform as circumstances changed. However, successive governments failed to address its structural weaknesses”, he said.