Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar accused the Centre on Tuesday of deliberately weakening the employment guarantee scheme. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of bills that propose changes to the law.
In a press briefing, Prabhakar claimed that the Narendra Modi government was trying to “strangle” the employment guarantee scheme. The government’s plan to change its name and introduce reforms without consulting state governments raised concerns. He questioned the urgency of passing the bills in Parliament if the amendments were truly in the public’s interest.
The minister further alleged that the Centre had already reduced funding for the scheme under the guise of technical reasons. Now, it seemed intent on diluting the core purpose of the program. He criticized the removal of Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the scheme, calling it an insult to his legacy. Prabhakar pointed out that the BJP was already facing backlash over its ideological stance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment guarantee scheme had played a vital role in providing jobs to rural families, Prabhakar said. However, he believed the Centre was targeting the program because it originated from the Congress party.
States Excluded in Employment Guarantee Changes
Prabhakar emphasized that the Congress had implemented the employment guarantee law after extensive consultations with experts like Nikhil Dey, Aruna Roy, Haragopal, and Shanta Sinha. He questioned why the Centre had not conducted similar consultations with the states before proposing changes to the scheme.
He also noted that while the program had been successful in providing employment in rural areas, urban poverty was continuing to rise. The BJP had promised an urban employment guarantee during the elections, but instead of expanding the program, it seemed intent on dismantling it.
The minister accused the Centre of withholding funds owed to states and redirecting them for its own purposes. He added that the centralization of GST had already reduced the financial autonomy of states, undermining the federal system.
Prabhakar warned that the Centre’s actions would harm the poor, depriving them of essential livelihood security. He concluded by pledging that the Congress would restore Mahatma Gandhi’s name to the employment guarantee scheme and expand it to urban areas when it returned to power
