The Congress today hit out at the BJP government over the wage hike under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, saying that making a "measly" 2.16 per cent average annual increase in it shows the "anti-poor" mindset of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At a press conference, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said PM Modi and his ministers are "mocking" the Congress' NYAY (minimum income guarantee) scheme but have "quietly squeezed" the funds meant for wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
"Pro-rich and anti-poor policies of the Narendra Modi government have created rampant and unimaginable rural distress in the past five years," she alleged.
"Under MGNREGA, the Modi government has given a measly increase of 2.16 per cent as average annual wage hike for 2019-20 which is the lowest ever," Ms Chaturvedi added.
NREGA labourers in six states and Union territories will see no annual increase in their daily wages this financial year, she claimed adding, "The Modi government has not released any funds for wage hikes for the states of Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal."
Ms Chaturvedi added, "Narendra Modi came (to power) on the back of plenty of promises regarding rural wages and farmers income. But we have only seen him wage a war on the people living in villages, people depending on farm income, people whose life depends on the rural economy."
"We have seen how Narendra Modi has catered to the whims and fancies of his suited-booted friends and totaly ignored the demands of the people living in rural areas," she added.
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