Sonia seeks Rs 400 min wage under MGNREGA

New Delhi:Congress MP Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of systematically undermining the “landmark legislation” MGNREGA, enacted during the previous UPA regime. She said the scheme faces multiple challenges and demanded that the government raise minimum wage under it to `400 per day and the number of guaranteed workdays to 150 a year.

Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabah during Zero Hour, the Congress leader said the landmark legislation has been a crucial safety net for millions of rural poor. “However, it is deeply concerning that the present BJP government has systematically undermined the scheme,” she said.

The Budget allocation (for the scheme) remains stagnant at `86,000 crore, a 10-year low as a percentage of GDP, she alleged.

When adjusted for inflation, the effective Budget declines by `4,000 crore, she said, adding that estimates suggest nearly 20 per cent of the allocated funds will be used to clear pending dues from previous years. “Additionally, the scheme faces multiple challenges, including the exclusionary Aadhaar-based payment and the National Mobile Monitoring System, persistent delays in wage payment and wage rates not adequate to compensate for inflation,” she claimed.

The National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app permits taking real-time attendance of workers at MGNREGA worksites along with geo-tagged photographs.

Demanding the removal of the Aadhaar Payments Bridge System (APBS) and NMMS, Gandhi said, “These measures are essential to ensure that MGNREGA provides dignified employment and financial security.”