The Left may squirm, but Congress president Sonia Gandhi today sought to take credit for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, which is due to be passed in the current session.Speaking at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting here, Sonia said: ‘‘The legislation was first promised by us in the Congress CMs’ conclave in Guwahati in April 2002 and in the next CMs’ meet in Srinagar in July 2003. It was a key pledge in our manifesto for the 2004 Lok Sabha election.’’Implying that the bill was a Congress commitment, despite the Left pressing for it, Sonia said it ‘‘draws substantially from the Employment Guarantee Scheme that the Congress launched in Maharashtra, three decades ago.’’Recalling the role of the Gandhi family, she said: ‘‘Indiraji had introduced a rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme and Rajivji had started the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana.’’Even former PM P V Narasimha Rao was mentioned. Rao’s ‘‘government implemented an Employment Assurance Scheme,’’ Sonia said, adding, ‘‘The present bill builds on all these past initiatives.’’Sonia then suggested four amendments based on discussions in the National Advisory Council and ‘‘feedback’’ from party leaders. They are:• The bill should target all employment-seekers, instead of only those below the poverty line• The guarantee must not be withdrawn at government discretion• The financial burden must be borne by the Centre with states meeting expenditure on unemployment allowance• Panchayats should play a central role in selection of work, implementation and monitoring.
