CPI(M) Politburo member Vrinda Karat said in support of the workers protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for their various demands that the Modi government at the Center is waging an undeclared war on the legal and constitutional rights of the rural poor.
New Delhi: Addressing a press conference in support of MNREGA workers, CPI(M) Politburo member Vrinda Karat said that the Modi government is waging an undeclared war on the legal and constitutional rights of the rural poor.
MNREGA workers are protesting for 100 days under the banner of ‘NREGA Sangharsh Morcha’ at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for their various demands. They are raising various demands including mandatory app based attendance system, drastic cuts in the budget, delay in wage payment, increase in wage rate.
According to The Hindu, in support of the protesting workers, Karat said that the most important step in their (government’s) agenda is to repeal several laws, which were enacted after decades of struggle. The only reason why the government is unable to completely abolish the law is because it does not have a legal mandate.
There are three major areas of concern in the implementation of MGNREGA. This includes a recent 33 percent cut in the budget, turning back workers who sought work, and the dismal wages offered under the program.
It is known that in the second term of the Modi government, the lowest amount has been allocated under MNREGA. In the budget for 2023-24, the allocation for MGNREGA has been dramatically reduced to Rs 60,000 crore. The revised estimate for FY23 was Rs 89,400 crore, which was higher than the budget estimate of Rs 73,000 crore.
Vrinda Karat said that the budget cuts should be seen along with the tax policies of the government.
He said, ‘Tax policies are favoring the richest 1 per cent of this country, who control 40 per cent of the country’s wealth. The government has not brought even a single paisa additional tax in this budget. Then, you trouble the poor by saying that you do not have enough revenue, we have to control our deficit. If this is not criminal, then I do not know what is.
Citing figures, Karat asserted that the government’s statement that funds would be made available as per demand is a lie.
He said, ‘In the financial year 2019-20, 1.5 crore workers who demanded work were returned (work was not given). This figure increased to 2.1 crore in 2020-21, 1.7 crore in 2021-22 and 1.6 crore in 2022-23.
He said, ‘The myth of the government that we are giving work as per the demand is nothing but a lie and the figures of the government itself show that crores of workers are being turned back (not given work).’
Brinda Karat also mentioned the need to revise the average national wage rate, which currently stands at Rs 218, much below the market rates. He said, ‘You are exploiting the labor of the poor with such dismal rates.’
Present at the press conference was food rights activist Anjali Bhardwaj, who highlighted the alarming level of unemployment in the country, which has worsened after the pandemic.
He said, ‘Heavy inflation is making the poor of the country more victims. Still the central government is saying that everything is fine.
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