BENGALURU: The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to challenge the Centre’s new employment guarantee scheme, VB-G RAM G Act, in courts.
The decision gains significance with the Congress set to launch ‘MGNREGA Bachao Sangram’ agitation against the Centre. The State government has also decided to hold special gram sabhas to create awareness against the ‘anti-people’ legislation.
“The Cabinet considers the VB-G RAM-G Act as an infringement of the constitutional right of the people for employment. The Cabinet unanimously decided not to accept the Act and challenge the same in the court of law,” said Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister HK Patil.
With a few of the Gram Panchayats coming forward to challenge the Act, the government would consult the Advocate General on approaching the High Court or the Supreme Court.
Will fight politically in people’s court: Patil
“We will fight this politically by taking the issue to the people’s court,” minister Patil said. He denied allegations that there were irregularities under MGNREGA scheme and said Gram Panchayats had created assets. “Although the new Act has provisions for providing 125 days of work, there is no money for this. The state government has to bear 40% of the cost. If there is a huge financial burden, discussions should be held with the states but it has not happened. This has been added after the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission were implemented”, he said.
The Cabinet felt that the VB-G RAM-G is in violation of the right to work and livelihood of the citizens as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Act tramples upon the rights of panchayats as vested by the Constitution and is against the spirit of 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution. The bottom-up planning approach, as per local requirements, has been compromised.
The Act seriously affects the federal structure by not only excluding the States from the consultation process but also while expecting the States to bear 40% of the amount, and that too as per the terms and conditions as unilaterally decided by the Centre without taking States into confidence.
The Act defeats the spirit of ‘Gram Swaraj’ as envisioned by the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi as the panchayats will neither have the freedom to choose the works as per local requirements or the priority of works, while being limited by the normative allocation to be decided by Central government, the State government said.
