NDA govt trying to weaken MGNREGA: CPI

Hitting out at the NDA government over its claim of "transforming" MGNREGA during its tenure, CPI today said the ruling BJP is trying to "weaken" the livelihood programme by increasing capital component of the scheme and reducing labour proportion of it.
"They want to increase capital component of the act and reduce labour proportion gradually. That issue was raised in Parliament by Left parties. That should not happen, the act should be labour-intensive," CPI national secretary D Raja said.
He claimed the Left played a "key role" in getting the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) enacted.
"MGNREGA was part of common minimum programme (of UPA-I) and the Left had played a key role in getting the Act enacted. In fact, the Left wanted Urban Employment Guarantee Act too," the Rajya Sabha member said.

"The legislation was enacted when UPA was in power due to strong campaign and support given by the Left. The Left was consistently fighting so that the scheme benefits the poor," he added.
Left parties had backed the UPA-I government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from outside for four years before withdrawing their support in 2008 over India's civilian nuclear energy deal with the US.
Criticising BJP, Raja said no party can "hijack" the scheme and people are "matured" to know who had crafted the legislation.
The 10th anniversary celebrations of MGNREGA today set off a political slug fest with the NDA government saying it has "transformed" UPA's flagship rural jobs scheme giving it record funds to boost economic growth while Rahul Gandhi mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.