Shivraj Chouhan Slams Punjab Government Over MNREGA Irregularities

Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday launched a blistering attack on the Punjab Government and opposition parties, calling their actions "undemocratic, irresponsible, and against the spirit of the Constitution."

The remarks came during a press conference in Bhopal amid sharp political controversy in Punjab over rural employment laws and alleged corruption in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA).

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the Punjab Assembly's decision to convene a special one-day session to pass a resolution against the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025, commonly known as the VB-G RAM G Act, which was passed by Parliament late last month.

"It is against the federal spirit of our Constitution for a state legislature to reject or move against a law passed by Parliament," Shivraj Singh Chouhan said. "Would a district or gram panchayat have the right to pass resolutions against state laws? This is blind politics of opposition without substance."

Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused some political parties of opposing government initiatives merely for the sake of opposition. "This has nothing to do with democracy or constitutional norms. What is happening in Punjab is undemocratic, undignified, and against the basic spirit of the Constitution," he said.

The Union Minister also hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he "lives in a world of fantasy" and is disconnected from the country's realities. Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that claims suggesting governance could function without a Cabinet and Council of Ministers amounted to misinformation and irresponsible politics. "Saying whatever comes to mind is not responsible politics," he said.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan took sharp aim at the Mann government's handling of the MNREGA scheme, alleging widespread corruption and failure to protect rural workers' interests.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan also raised serious allegations of corruption in Punjab, particularly in the implementation of the MNREGA scheme. He said thousands of corruption cases had come to light, but neither had the culprits been punished nor the embezzled money recovered.

According to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, out of 13,304 gram panchayats in Punjab, social audits were conducted in only 5,915. These audits reportedly revealed around 10,653 cases of financial irregularities, yet no action was taken in any of them. He alleged that money was siphoned off by creating inflated estimates in the name of cleaning roads and canals and that even after investigations by central teams, recommendations for recovery were not implemented.

He further alleged that irregular expenditures were made on activities not permitted under MNREGA, such as bush clearing, soil filling, and embankment construction, while labourers were complaining of not receiving their wages. "No work is done to end corruption, no action is taken even when caught, and on the other hand, there is talk of passing resolutions against parliamentary laws. This mindset is undemocratic, and I strongly condemn it," Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

He asserted that meaningful discussion on rural development and livelihood security should focus on outcomes for workers and villages, not theatrics in legislative arenas.

Taking a swipe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her announcement to build a Mahakal temple in North Bengal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that some leaders remember temples and faith only when elections are near. "Faith should be respected, not used as a political tool," he said, alleging that religion was being invoked for electoral gains while attacks on religious institutions were ignored.