RTI ineffective, MGNREGA promoting corruption: Nishikant Dubey

The Right to Information Act (RTI) has only managed to produce middlemen in every block and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has only promoted corruption, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Tuesday in Lok Sabha.

The Jharkhand MP was speaking during a discussion on supplementary demands for grants, where the Opposition attacked the government for the state of the economy and selling Air India (AI) in a non-transparent manner to the Tatas.

Arguing that the economy was hampered by policies of the previous government and Air India went into losses because of alleged corruption in its operation during the UPA regime, Dubey said, “In 2004, an ultra-Leftist government came to power… What was National Advisory Council doing? It was paid for with taxpayer’s money and it brought RTI. Has RTI brought any change? It has only produced a middleman in every block. What comprehensive change did RTI or Land Acquisition Act bring? Is there no corruption in MGNREGA? Aren’t we promoting corruption through MGNREGA?”

Dubey also raised the issue of cryptocurrency and advised the government to ban it. Government has announced it plans to bring a bill to regulate the use of cryptocurrency.

NCP MP Supriya Sule, during the debate, however, said that both the state and Centre need to work better together to strengthen the MGNREGA scheme. “Why is MGNREGA so required? It is required clearly because of the unemployment issue,” Sule said.

“…I think, the accountability falls even with us and the Central Government because MNREGA is a programme absolutely for the people at the bottom of the pyramid. So, I think, we need to work better together to strengthen the programme. But at the same time, we cannot ignore the fact that requirement of MGNREGA is getting more and more because it proves that the unemployment challenge is going up during this pandemic time,” Sule said.

Participating in the debate, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the Covid-19 pandemic, combined with the “short-sighted” policies of the government, had ushered in a period of uncertainty for the economic revival. “The target of 6.8 per cent fiscal deficit is not going to be met. The total government debt as percentage of GDP has risen from 70 per cent in March 2019 to 90 per cent by March 2021. The disinvestment target of Rs 1.7 lakh crore is going to be missed by a large margin. This government has not been able to meet its disinvestment targets in the past too… In the Air India disinvestment, the government is still liable to Rs 46,000 crore in debt and that is going to be passed on to the taxpayer,” Tharoor said.

According to records, of the total AI debt of Rs 61,562 crore, the Tatas will take care of Rs 15,300 crore and will pay an additional Rs 2,700 crore in cash to the government. The government will still have to foot the bill for Rs 43,562 crore debt, of which, sale of assets is likely to generate Rs 14,718 crore.

He said the government had slashed MGNREGA budget at a time when unemployment rates were highest in the country in its history. He said the additional grant that the government has sought is not going to be enough to meet the demand.

He also raised the issue of MSPs. “There are two schemes of the government that ensure the implementation of the MSP – the Market Intervention and Price Support Scheme and PM-AASHA. Government has slashed budget for both, leading to a 20-25 per cent cut… Having withdrawn the farm laws, how are they going to be able to promise MSPs when they have cut by 25 per cent the money available for MSPs?” he asked.

Pointing out little allocation for defence, Tharoor said, “This is a na jawan, na kisan government.”

DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran raised the issue of alleged non-transparent disinvestment of Air India. “…In the Air India deal who is second bidder? Who is the third bidder? We don’t know. It is like the PM CARES fund,” Maran said.

Maran also claimed that through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, a fraud was being committed on the country. “Companies are getting 70-80 per cent haircut. How are banks allowing this? Or is it phone banking?.. Farmers and students don’t get haircuts on their loans. Farmers commit suicide. This government seems to be pampering the rich,” Maran said.

TMC’s Saugata Roy raised the issue of price rise, “The economy is in a bad shape. In 2020-21, we had a contraction of 7.4 per cent. The tax collection is rising because inflation is rising. Leave aside fuel, look at the price of vegetables and edible oil. Only three-four companies are reaping the benefits of this government.”

He also attacked the government for AI disinvestment. “We are begging Tata to take over Air India and paying over Rs 60,000 crore. We are selling family silver. The finance minister will be known as the biggest saleswoman,” he said.