1. 'Right' not a 'Gift'
MGNREGA was conceived and executed as 'Demand Driven'. In the new Bill, this has been changed to a 'Supply Based' central scheme. This reeks of the government's zamindari or feudal mindset. Clearly, the government does not want anyone to have a 'right'. MGNREGA was a RIGHT. They instead want to dish out doles before the polls, using the state exchequer for electoral ends. The new bill converts a right into a 'gift', making the workers dependent on the State's benevolence.
2. Rural women Hurt
These women are going to be the biggest losers. For the last five years, more than 50% of work under MNREGA has been done by women. In many states, women comprise 90% of the workforce. The money they got from MNREGA supplemented their household income. It kept their children in school, bought them their books and their new clothes. Gone. In the labour market, which usually prefers men over women, MGNREGA, for the first time, created gender pay-parity.
3. Switch off clause anti-federal
The states will foot 40% of the cost- but the Union government will take the final call on all decisions- the budget of the scheme and where it will be implemented in a state. Now states have no right to decide where the scheme will be implemented. Again, this is feudalism, not federalism.
4. Why black out for 60 days
MGNREGA wages have been consistently far below the market rate. To say that it robbed workers during the agriculture season is reinforcing a stereotype. There is absolutely no evidence to draw this correlation. If at all, it strengthened the workers rights, to ask for better wages. One could also argue that it rationalized the labour market. But now many will ask: is this move aimed to provide cheap labour for corporates?
5. Not just a Congress or UPA legislation
The Act was born out of a people's movement that went on for many years. It came from the grassroots. For a decade now, the Modi led government has tried to portray MNREGA as a Congress or UPA legislation. And in the end, it is
clear as daylight that the petty mindset of this coalition government has removed it.
6. Another blow to federalism
The only federal aspect of the Bill was that a former Chief Minister of Gujarat got a former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh to carry out the assassination of MGNREGA. Ironically, between the two, they were Chief Ministers for a total of 29 years.
7. Transparency missing
This Bill being touted as 'transparent' in itself is an irony. No MGNREGA funds have been released to Bengal since March 2022. Prior to the suspension of funds, Bengal was among the top-performing States with 1.37 crore rural households receiving employment. The state today is owed Rs 52,000 crore, with 59 lakh registered workers deprived of wage payments for over three years
8. More legislation without consultation
It has become the habit of this government to bring in important legislation almost at the end of the session, only to pass it without due diligence or committee consultation. For example, in 2020, the Opposition had demanded that the three important Farm bills be sent to a Select Committee With this Bill too, there was no committee consultation, as proposed by the Opposition. It only reinforces the government's apathy: in the 15th Lok Sabha (2019-14), seven out of 10 bills were sent to a committee for scrutiny. In the last two terms of this government, this number has crashed to three and two, respectively.
9. Insulting India's icons
Removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the title of the new Bill is not just an insult to the Father of the Nation, but an insult to Rabindranath Tagore as well. It was the great poet who had conferred the title of 'Mahatma' to Gandhiji.
10. Guarantee? Security? Livelihood?
The original objective of MGNREGA was guarantee, livelihood and security. This Bill kills all three of these, just like the three bullets fired by Nathuram Godse that killed the Father of the Nation in 1948.
Postscript: Eight hours were allocated for the MNREGA debate in Rajya Sabha. It was the BJP who withdrew many of their speakers so that the debate could be wrapped up in just six hours!
(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
