Defending the Centre’s proposed reforms in rural employment schemes, a senior BJP leader on Monday alleged that the implementation of MNREGA under previous Congress-led governments was marked by “complete chaos and disaster,” leading to large-scale irregularities and scams. “Understand that when MNREGA was implemented under them, it was a complete chaos and disaster. In fact, it led to many scams being unearthed,” the leader said, claiming that during 2010–11, “thousands of crores of scams were there in Bihar, in Uttar Pradesh.”
Emphasising the safeguards in the new scheme, the leader asserted that it would ensure transparency through technology-driven monitoring. “The new scheme in fact will bring a check and balance to all of that. A monitoring system will be effective, it will be completely digitised and there will be no question that there will be any loopholes,” the leader stated. He further added, “All those leakages will be checked and in fact, a very robust system will be implemented. And this is a pro-people scheme.”
Questioning the Congress’s opposition, the BJP leader said, “I don’t understand why the Congress is denying the fact that this is a pro-people scheme. In fact, something which is pro-people should be acknowledged, and denying the fact that this will not be a pro-people scheme is something which cannot be taken.” The comments come amid a heated political exchange between the ruling party and the opposition over proposed changes to welfare schemes, with the government maintaining that the reforms are aimed at greater accountability and benefits for the people.