Shimla: Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with Congress leaders, paid floral tributes to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on his death anniversary, observed as Martyrs' Day, at the historic Ridge in Shimla on Friday.
Following the tribute, the Congress leaders observed a two-hour fast from 11 am to 1 pm to protest against “renaming and dilution of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)” by the BJP-led Union govt.
Addressing mediapersons, the CM alleged that the central govt not only altered the name of MGNREGA but also weakened the core objectives of the scheme. He said thw MGNREGA was earlier a strong pillar of rural employment, particularly benefiting youth and women, but opportunities under the scheme are now being steadily reduced.
Sukhu highlighted that village pradhans earlier had the authority to undertake development works such as road construction under MGNREGA, which ensured employment close to people’s homes. He added that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the scheme played a vital role in providing employment to a large number of people. However, he expressed concern that the powers of panchayat pradhans are now curtailed.
The CM added that for nearly two decades, MGNREGA guaranteed employment and also provided unemployment allowance when work was not made available. He said the two-hour fast was a symbolic protest against the systematic dismantling of the scheme. He also pointed out that while the central govt earlier bore 100% of the expenditure, it now shifted to a 90:10 funding pattern, which could adversely affect states like Himachal Pradesh.
Responding to a question, Sukhu said he raised concerns over the proposed reduction in import duty on apples from New Zealand with Union minister Piyush Goyal, cautioning that it could severely impact apple growers in Himachal Pradesh.
Courtesy : TOI
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