Chandigarh, Dec 31 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has failed to provide in the past four years the mandatory 100 days of employment under MGNREGA to lakhs of people from weaker and deprived sections, said BJP state working President Ashwani Sharma on Wednesday.
By doing so, BJP leader Sharma said, CM Mann has not only taken away the guarantee of employment but has also snatched bread from the plates of the poor, hurting their dignity and self-respect. Sharma told the media here that during the special Assembly session a day earlier, the Speaker allotted limited time, and whatever time was given was repeatedly disrupted by members of the ruling party.
“For this reason, he held a press conference on December 29 and presented facts to the public regarding serious issues related to MGNREGA. As expected, the Chief Minister did not respond to these questions.”
Sharma posed question to the Chief Minister. They were: When the central government sent funds for 100 days of employment for every worker in Punjab, why does the state not provide full 100 days of employment to workers?
The BJP lawmaker asked why mandatory social audits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were not conducted in 6,095 gram panchayats in 2024-25 and in 7,389 gram panchayats in 2025-26, whose corruption is being hidden?
He questioned why no action has been taken so far in 10,653 corruption cases detected by the Special Audit Unit, and why the guilty are being protected.
Sharma said MGNREGA workers and their organisations have consistently accused Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, MPs, and local leaders of involvement in corruption. Despite this, the government and the Chief Minister’s inaction clearly showed that through corruption in MGNREGA, AAP leaders and lawmakers have snatched the livelihood of the poor.
--IANS
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