Bajwa demands Rs 800 crore MGNREGA share in Punjab budget

Patiala: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Saturday attacked the BJP-led Union govt and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt in Punjab, accusing them of acting in collusion to weaken the constitutional right to work, undermine federalism and trample upon the dignity of the poor. He addressed public gatherings in Sangrur and Rajpura during the Congress party's MNREGA Bachao Sangram, in Rajpura and Sangrur on January 10.Bajwa challenged Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and demanded that the AAP govt make a provision of Rs 800 crore in the forthcoming Punjab Budget towards the state's 40 per cent share under MGNREGA. "If the Mann government fails to allocate this amount, it must openly admit its betrayal of Punjab's poor and rural workers," he asserted. He also referred to AAP minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond's statement that the govt aimed to spend Rs 2,000 crore on MGNREGA, and said clear budgetary provisions must be made to back such claims.Targeting the AAP govt, Bajwa accused it of surviving on hollow slogans and unfulfilled promises, including the pledge of Rs 1,000 per month to women and the failure to enhance pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities. Taking a jibe at AAP's anti-drug campaign Yudh Nasheyan Virudh, he termed it a farce and said AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal could not even ensure accountability within his own leadership. "This government believes in theatrics, not governance," Bajwa remarked.Recalling the enactment of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act nearly two decades ago, Bajwa described it as a rights-based law guaranteeing work, wages and dignity to rural households, especially Dalits and women. He said the Act emerged from consultations involving workers' unions, social movements, economists, Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office, reflecting bipartisan consensus. "The principle was clear—work is a right, not charity," he stressed.Highlighting MGNREGA's impact, Bajwa said it guaranteed 100 days of employment, raised rural wages, reduced poverty, empowered women and curbed distress migration. He added that it proved to be a lifeline during crises such as droughts and the COVID-19 pandemic.Bajwa accused the BJP govt at the Centre of weakening MGNREGA since 2014 through underfunding, delayed wage payments and bureaucratic hurdles. He opposed the VB G-RAM-G Bill, and said it diluted federalism, shifted financial burdens onto states and stripped workers of enforceable legal rights.Reiterating his demand, Bajwa said the Mann govt must prioritise rural employment over publicity expenditure and ensure timely budgetary support. He said that once the Congress formed the govt in Punjab in 2027, full and guaranteed budgetary allocation for MGNREGA will be ensured. "MGNREGA is a constitutional social contract. Diluting it is an assault on dignity, federalism and the right to life," he concluded, adding that under a future Congress govt, no gangster will dare harass Punjabis.