Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Aug 23: Mallikarjun Kharge, the head of the Congress, slammed the Narendra Modi-led BJP government on Wednesday for reportedly “slashing 33 per cent” the budget for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) program, a hallmark initiative launched by the previous UPA administration in 2005.
Kharge charged the Central government of “withholding” Rs 6,366 crore in MGNREGA salaries to 18 States and Union Territories, asserting that the program launched by the Congress party still serves 14.42 crore active workers.
“On this day in 2005, our Congress-UPA Govt enacted MGNREGA to ensure ‘Right to Work’ to crores of people. Even though Modi Govt has cut MGNREGA’s budget by 33%, this year and it owes ?6,366 crores in MGNREGA wages to 18 States and Union Territories, this flagship programme started by the Congress party still supports 14.42 crore active workers, more than half of them are women,” Kharge posted on X.
On this day in 2005, our Congress-UPA Govt enacted MGNREGA to ensure ‘Right to Work’ to crores of people.
Even though Modi Govt has cut MGNREGA’s budget by 33%, this year and it owes ₹6,366 crore in MGNREGA wages to 18 States and Union Territories, yet this flagship programme… pic.twitter.com/65Aqd3D9Rs
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 23, 2023
The MGNREGA plan received a budget allocation of Rs 60,000 crore in the Union Budget for the years 2023–2024, which is 18% less than the estimated budget of Rs 73,000 crore for 2022–2023 and around 33% less than the revised estimates of Rs 89,000 crore for the current year.
