UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar lauded the new VB-G-RAM-G Bill for ensuring timely wages with interest, a feature he claims was lacking in MGNREGA. His comments come as the state Congress plans a protest against the bill's introduction.
Rajbhar Defends New Rural Employment Bill
Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Tuesday said that the Congress should compare the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the VB-G-RAM-G Bill, underlining that wages were not paid timely in MGNREGA, however, there is a provision of timely wage distribution in the new Bill.
'Timely Wages and More Workdays'
Speaking to ANI, Rajbhar said that if the wages are not paid to the workers within a week under the new VB-G-RAM-G Bill, there is a provision of paid interest that will be given to the workers. "This is democracy. Anyone can protest within the framework of the law; there is no problem... They should first compare MGNREGA and the VB-G-RAM G Bill. In MGNREGA, wages were not paid on time, whereas the VB-G-RAM-G Bill has a provision that if workers do not receive their wages within a week, they will be paid interest. The number of wage-earning days has also been increased. There were a total of 100 working days in MGNREGA, but now they have been increased to 125 days in the VB-G-RAM-G Bill. Provisions have been made for MGNREGA workers to work alongside farmers during the 60 days of farmer time in both seasons..." he said.
Congress Plans Protest Against New Bill
The statement follows the Congress' announcemnet to lay a siege to the State Assembly to raise issues such as the renaming of the MGNREGA and market demolitions.
List of Grievances
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai said that the party workers have come from all parts of the state, and will lay a siege together at the Legislative Assembly. "Our workers have come from different districts... Everyone has been sleeping in the State Committee office all night, including me... workers from all over the state. We will lay siege to the assembly in large numbers today. the workers' wages that the government has withheld for the past 11-12 months, the government's plan to scrap MGNREGA, the insult to women, workers, Shankaracharya, and Mata Ahilyabai Holkar, demolishing markets, ruining markets like the Dal Mandi... And then give all the land to the people from Gujarat... We will lay siege to the assembly on all these issues and will oppose it strongly..." he stated.
Legislative Background
On December 18 last year, the Parliament passed the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, replacing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act as India's flagship rural employment guarantee scheme. (ANI)
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