BJP likely to shelve MGNREGA scheme: Kavitha

Hyderabad: BRS MLC K. Kavitha slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of weakening and eventually scrapping the MGNREGA scheme, pushing the lives of rural poor into jeopardy. She said the huge decrease in allocation of funds for the scheme in the latest Union Budget indicates that the Centre is likely to shelve it, once and for all.

Kavitha held a meeting with representatives of the MGNREGA contract and outsourcing employees association here on Thursday. She said that the Centre had allocated only Rs 60,000 crore for MGNREGA, which marked the lowest allocation in five years.

The BJP government has been systematically reducing funds for the scheme from Rs 1.1 lakh crore in 2020-21, to Rs 98,000 crore in 2021-22 and to Rs 89,400 crore in 2022-23, she said.

"At least Rs 2.72 lakh crore is required for its effective implementation this year. But the Centre allocated only Rs 60,000 crore which exposes the Centre’s intentions," Kavitha said.

She pointed out that the Centre did not create any new employment opportunities in rural areas in the last nine years.

While the state government was trying to provide employment opportunities to people to the maximum possible extent, the central government was not cooperating, she said.