The Telangana Assembly on Wednesday adopted a unanimous resolution requesting the Central government to implement the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in all the rural blocks of the State.
The resolution, moved by Panchayat Raj Minister K.T. Rama Rao, noted that the changes proposed in the scheme, restricting its implementation to 2,500 backward blocks in the country, including 78 mandals in Telangana, adversely impacted the State.
It stated that the Assembly had expressed strong reservations on the proposed changes since the scheme provided unskilled wage employment to a number of rural poor, especially the vulnerable and marginalised sections, when there was no other work available. The problem was particularly acute in the newly formed separate Telangana, which had backward areas in all blocks of the State and linked resources.
Any move to restrict the application of the Act to a few areas, based on incorrect interpretation of the legislation, will set the clock back on development. It will also negatively impact Scheduled Castes, women and all sections of people who are beneficiaries of the scheme. On the suggestion of the Opposition, Mr. Rao amended the resolution to seek agriculture as an integral part of the scheme. He also conceded the request of BJP floor leader K. Laxman to tone down the tenor of the resolution so as not to enter into a conflict with the Centre. He withdrew the words ‘serious resentment’ of the House.
