By Nityanjali Bulsu
The Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal United, who are part of the NDA grouping of Bharatiya Janata Party, spoke up about their troubles with the changes in the Congress session about the bill proposed as a relief to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) bill.
The parties have decided not to take a very aggressive approach, but the leaders were worried about the details and want to make sure their voices are heard. Viksit Bharat- Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) or VB- G RAM G Bill, is the bill proposed as the relief of the MGNREGA, which was, until now, drafted as a law. The leaders of the TDP and the JDU stated that the proposed bill will have their support, but the government has also been informed about their issues with the bill.
The TDP has also expressed its concerns with the state’s proposed spending on the scheme. The new bill proposes that the finances will be distributed along a 60:40 pattern among the states and UTs, but a 90:10 pattern for northeastern countries and Himalayan countries.
N Vijaya Kumar, the spokesperson for TDP, said that the party would request the centre to review the arrangement where the state would bear 40 of the wage burden, as stated in the new bill.
When asked about fiscal burdens, he said that he hoped that the Centre would be willing to help the state of Andhra Pradesh. Upon these enterprises, senior government officers said that the suggestions will be taken into due consideration, and that while the new structure of the VB-G Ramji bill is ‘balanced’ and ‘sensitive’ to the capacities of the state, they’re welcome to request for any required additional support during disasters.