Chandigarh, November 5
Accusing the present government of embezzling crores of rupees in the MGNREGA scheme which guarantees at least 100 days of work to the poor, needy and laborers in rural areas; the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab demanded the Charanjit Singh Channi government that if they were truly benevolent towards the poor and laborer; it should set up an inquiry commission to look into the multi-billion rupees scams and frauds in the MGNREGA scheme so far, which will be monitored by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
In a statement issued from the party headquarters here on Friday, AAP’s Youth Wing state president and MLA Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that billions of rupees had been embezzled in Punjab under the MGNREGA scheme implemented in 2008 for the poor and downtrodden. But like the previous Badal government, the present Congress government does not care about the poor laborers. He also claimed that with the formation of the AAP government in 2022, the MGNREGA scheme would be scrutinized from beginning to end.
He said that a white paper will be issued on all MGNREGA financial entries, including all embezzlements and scams. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for scams. Hayer said that if the intentions and policies of the authorities regarding the MGNREGA scheme and the poor and laborers had been clear, the MGNREGA scheme would have been a boon for the labor class and would have contributed immensely to the multifaceted development of the state especially the rural areas.
The AAP leader said that in the last four-and-a-half years alone, hundreds of crores of rupees have been embezzled in the MGNREGA scheme. If the previous Badal government is taken into account, this scam could cross several thousand crores, he added.
Referring to Sukhbir Singh Badal, Meet Hayer lashed out at the previous SAD-BJP government and said, “In January this year, Sukhbir Singh Badal had accused the Congress of embezzling more than Rs 1,000 crore in the MGNREGA scheme, but only made allegations and then remained silent as there were other major embezzlements and scams in the MGNREGA scheme during the SAD-BJP government.
Meet Hayer said that the Aam Aadmi Party would take up the issue in the Assembly with facts, evidence and documents and if the Channi government did not take concrete steps against the scams in the MGNREGA scheme and protect the interests of the right wage earners; then a state level protest will be waged against CM Channi.
