Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday strongly criticized the Punjab government’s move to pass a resolution against the VB-G RAM G Act, calling it undemocratic and unconstitutional. He described the resolution as an example of “blind opposition” politics and emphasized that it is the constitutional responsibility of states to abide by laws passed by Parliament.
Chouhan was responding to the resolution tabled by Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond during the one-day session of the state assembly. The AAP government had accused the BJP-led Centre of attempting to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) through the new legislation.
Targeting opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Chouhan said his recent claim that Prime Minister Modi unilaterally scrapped MGNREGA “reflects a disconnect with reality” and constitutes irresponsible politics. He questioned the logic of state assemblies opposing laws enacted by Parliament, asking whether local bodies like gram panchayats should also pass resolutions against state laws.
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Chouhan also alleged widespread corruption in Punjab’s MGNREGA implementation, citing a report stating that only 5,915 out of 13,304 gram panchayats conducted social audits. According to him, around 10,653 cases of financial embezzlement were detected but no action was taken, and workers were often unpaid for their labor.
The minister insisted that following Parliamentary laws is a constitutional duty for both the Centre and state governments. “Passing resolutions against laws made by Parliament undermines the democratic and constitutional framework of India,” he said, calling the Punjab government’s action “improper and undemocratic.”
Meanwhile, Minister Sondh defended the resolution, stating that the VB-G RAM G Act would negatively affect rural laborers, families below the poverty line, and Scheduled Caste communities dependent on MGNREGA for livelihood. The debate highlights growing tensions between state governments and the Centre over rural employment legislation.
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