Congress leader Sachin Pilot terms Rajasthan chief minister seeking repeal of NREGA as 'unfortunate'

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday termed it unfortunate over Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje apparently seeking the repeal of National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (NREGA) and convert the same into a scheme.

"I think that it is very unfortunate. That the only state in the country that has written to the government of India for repeal of this act. This has not come from any industrialised state like Gujarat or Maharashtra but mainly a agrarian rural state like Rajasthan," Pilot told ANI.

"This act has ensured livelihood for millions of people across the country. It has given a sense of financial security. In times of drought.. which is apparently imminent. So in a year when there is a drought coming up why would a state government want to repeal this act and convert it into a scheme. Basically the state government is abdicating its responsibilty of executing this act," he said.

"The only reason I can see perhaps atleast in Rajasthan, the chief minister doesnot want to give any further credit to the scheme as it was a brainchild of UPA, Sonia Gandhi herself and former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh; perhaps to take away the credit away they want to repeal this act. Also they want to convert this into a scheme shows that they do not want to be responsible for the millions of people who are getting jobs, they want to take those resources in their hands and then decide who and when and how the money should be spent. Very unfortunate, because this is a pan Indian act, this is an act of Parliament and the state government wanting to tweak it I do not think that augurs well for rural families of Rajasthan," he added.

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Raje recently suggested to the Centre to change the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act ( NREGA) into a scheme. She said that the act needed a rethink.