Congmen told to take credit for rural jobs plan

In an apparent bid to make political capital out of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and to checkmate the non-Congress regimes in different states, which are reportedly claiming credit for it, top Congress leadership today asked the party workers to set the record straight among people.

That it was the UPA regime which brought this Act, the Congress was the only party to have it in its manifesto, and it was also a part of the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) of the UPA.

Besides, it's the Centre that bears 90 per cent of the expenditure under this scheme.

This emphasis on the need to project the NREGA as a reflection of the ruling party's concern for 'aam admi (common man)' marked the speeches of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at today's convention of the District Congress Committees of the 200 districts where this Act is in force.

Speaking at the convention, also attended by Congress chief ministers and state unit presidents, Congressmen pointed out a number of flaws in the implementation of NREGA, like job cards being issued to non-deserving people on political considerations and remuneration being less than minimum wages.

Addressing the convention, Sonia said that some non-Congress state governments were trying to 'politically exploit' the NREGA by not mentioning the Centre's role in it.

Manmohan, however, avoided making any political references about state governments and chose to focus on the implementation part and on how the NREGA is in keeping with the UPA's promise to make India a country where everybody is free from poverty, hunger and illness.

"When people ask me what is the major feat of this government, I say, the NREGA. It is a historic law... which is nowhere else in the world... It will stop people's exodus from rural areas in search of employment... You should convey it to the people that it was implemented by the UPA government and most of the money is given by the GoI," he said.

The PM urged Congressmen to apprise the people, especially in non-Congress ruled states, of these facts that would be of great benefit to the party.

"You tell the people that this right (to employment) was given to them by Soniaji, by the Congress Party," the PM said.