Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has emphasised that VB G RAM G is introduced to plug loopholes that existed in the MGNREGA scheme. Addressing media persons in Bengaluru today, the minister said that the new scheme assures 125 days of employment instead of 100 earlier, assures of unemployment allowance, uses technology to prevent corruption and commission and allows the Gram Panchayat to execute the programme.
He alleged that the Congress Party is spreading misinformation. He pointed out that Yadgir and Kalburgi in the state had reported irregularities in fund usage, and the CAG report had also corroborated several such cases of fraud under the scheme. He also took objection to the incident reported in the Karnataka legislature today, where he alleged that the Congress members insulted the Governor.
Speaking about the allocation of funds under the scheme, the minister informed that the UPA government had released 8,739.32 crore rupees in 10 years, whereas the NDA Government has released 48,549 crore rupees under the employment guarantee programme to Karnataka. At the all-India level, the previous UPA released 2,13,000 crore rupees, while the NDA released 8,48,000 crore rupees.
