Centre capitalising on 100-day job scheme for poll gains in state: Congress

Sources said the AICC has asked all Congress state presidents to prepare reports on the current status of the scheme and submit the same to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on February 5. A Congress leader said a letter from senior leader Janardan Dwivedi, last month, had asked all state units to hold MNREGA sammelans. The state presidents have been asked to personally report to Rahul about the outcome of the events.

AICC General Secretary Madhusudan Mistry, during the convention in Lucknow, said: “The attitude of both the central and state governments towards implementation of the scheme is pathetic… The UPA government had brought the only scheme of its kind to ensure at least 100 days employment in an year to the poor… But now the government is backtracking.”

“The official MGNREGA sammelan is a show off… The Centre would have increased wages if it was serious about the scheme,” he added.

At the convention, several complaints and suggestions came from the districts, which included delay in payment of wages, misappropriation of funds by village heads and non-payment of wages. Mistry went on to suggest the formation of a union for MGNREGA workers and contractual employees on the lines of Gujarat in UP.

The union, supported by Congress leaders, would be an independent body that would take up cause of MGNREGA labourers and contractual employees. The task was handed over to party leader Sanjay Dixit — a former member of the Central Employment Guarantee Council, who had reportedly exposed several anomalies and scams in the implementation of the scheme during the UPA regime.

“The campaign for MGNREGA labourers and contractual employees would be undertaken in an organised manner in UP… Here, gross anomalies can be found even in making entries… largescale fraud is going on. Soon, work on the formation of union will begin,” Dixit said after the convention.

Among other suggestions received during the convention included holding of ‘MGNREGA Sunwai Day’ at party offices. Some leaders suggested that a day be fixed when MGNREGA workers can come with complaints, which would be resolved by a specially designated team.