SAD chief Badal demands rollback of VB-G RAM G, says it will impact poor

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday demanded that the Centre withdraw the VB-G RAM G Act, saying it will adversely impact the poor and put additional financial burden on states.

Badal also demanded that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme be restored.

The former deputy chief minister's remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.

Addressing the media in Amritsar, Badal said the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ensured 100 days of employment and it was completely funded by the Centre.

Referring to the VB-G RAM G Act, he said, "The government should withdraw its decision as it will directly impact the lives of the poor."  He also criticised the government's decision to drop Mahatma Gandhi's name from the rural employment law.

"Mahatma Gandhi ji was that person who fought for the country's freedom. If any scheme is run in his name, it should not be changed," the SAD leader said.

Badal said the new law requires states to share 40 per cent of the expenses and this will put additional financial burden on them.

The current Punjab government will not be able to contribute as it has already "failed" to do so in the ongoing central schemes, he said.

The Akali leader also hit out at the Bhagwant Mann government and the previous Congress dispensation, accusing them of destroying Punjab's economy.

If the AAP government fails to contribute its share, then how will the scheme run, he asked.

Under the VB-G RAM G Act, the cost-sharing pattern is 60:40 between the Centre and states, 90:10 for northeastern and Himalayan states, and 100 per cent central funding for Union territories without legislatures.

"This new scheme will hit the poor of the country. The government of India should immediately withdraw it. All the parties should jointly protest against the new scheme," Badal said.

The Akali Dal is clear that it will not tolerate steps which will impact the public, he said.

"We stand by the poor and labourers and will fight for them," he said.

"I want to appeal to the Centre that it should immediately withdraw this scheme and the previous system should continue," he added.

On the recent zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, Badal slammed the ruling AAP for allegedly misusing the government machinery to reject nominations of his SAD candidates.

In panchayat samitis, the nomination papers of 1,100 candidates of the SAD were rejected, he claimed, adding, "The nominations were rejected where Akali Dal would have won the poll."  "We could only fight 1,700 zones," he said.

In many block samitis like in Zira, Gurdaspur, Dera Baba Nanak, Bhoa and Khemkaran, the nominations of all SAD candidates were rejected. "We were not allowed to fight the poll," he said.

Badal claimed SAD candidates were rejected in 100 zila parishads.

"In the last 10 years, Punjab lagged behind. Nobody is ready to invest in Punjab. Hooliganism is ruling the roost. Every day, there are incidents of snatching and robbery," he charged.

The AAP registered an emphatic victory in the zila parishad panchayat samiti polls in Punjab. The Congress secured the second spot, the SAD third and the BJP fourth.