Sonia Gandhi Address Rajya Sabha on Low Budgetary Allocation for MGNREGA

Congress parliamentarian and chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Tuesday, said that the central government has systematically undermined the rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGA). Gandhi also demanded a hike in the minimum wage to ₹400 per day and also a hike in the guaranteed working days from 100 to 150 per year.

Congress Parliamentary party chairperson raised these issues during the Parliamentary zero hour in Rajya Sabha. Gandhi mentioned that the UPA government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had enacted the landmark legislation on

in 2005, which provided “a crucial safety net for millions of rural poor.”

Budget Allocation

Addressing other MLAs, Sonia Gandhi said, “However, it is deeply concerning that the present BJP government has systematically undermined the scheme.” Gandhi is pointing out towards the budget allocation for the scheme that remains stagnant at ₹86,000 crores. This is the lowest in the last 10 years, in terms of percentage of GDP. When adjusted for inflation, the effective budget declines by ₹4,00,00,000. While nearly 20% 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 system and the national mobile monitoring system, persistent delays in wage payment and wage rates not adequate to compensate for inflation,” said Gandhi.