Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced that all gram panchayats in the state will be named after Mahatma Gandhi, The Indian Express reported.
An announcement to this effect will be made during the Budget Session of the Assembly, he said.
Siddaramaiah made the statement at a rally organised by the Congress’ state unit to protest the Union government’s decisions to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and replace it with the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin). The Congress, along with several other Opposition parties, has objected to removing Gandhi’s name from the scheme.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah reiterated this criticism at the “MNREGA Bachao Sangram” rally held at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park.
“The BJP government cannot tolerate Mahatma Gandhi’s name,” he was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald. “They intentionally named the new scheme with the word ‘Ram’ to play on people’s mind. But it is neither ‘Dasharatha Ram’, ‘Kaushalya Ram’ nor ‘Sita Ram’. There is no Ram in this Act.”
Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP scrapped welfare measures for the underprivileged because of its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “[The RSS] wants the poor to remain poor,” he was quoted as saying by the Deccan Herald. “Only Congress thinks of the poor.”
A delegation of Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, met Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot after the rally, and submitted a memorandum to him, according to The Indian Express.
The memorandum alleged that VB-G Ram G amounted to “broad daylight murder” of the MGNREGA, and an assault on the poor.
Under the new law, the number of guaranteed workdays will increase to 125, while states’ share of costs will rise to 40%. The Centre will continue to bear the wage component, with states sharing material and administrative expenses.
Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday referred to these provisions, and said that state governments “have no money as Centre takes away Rs 5 lakh crore under GST and cesses through Finance Commission”, the Deccan Herald reported.
“It [Centre] owes Rs 70,000 crore to Karnataka alone,” Surjewala said. “The employment guarantee will end on its own due to funds crunch.”
Just 0.2% of readers pay for news. The others don’t care if it dies. You can help make a difference. Support independent journalism – join Scroll now.
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!