In order to address livelihood distress in rural areas in Covid-19 times, RSS affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch on Sunday pitched strongly for "substantial increase" in the fund allocation for MGNREGA, a flagship rural job scheme launched by the UPA government.
The SJM felt it would "support rural employment".
"The pandemic has removed the illusion that urbanisation is a measure of development. it has been conclusively proved that with the aid technology, substantial economic activity can be carried from remote or rural areas also thereby providing opportunity for a more dispersed and decentralised growth model with substantial employment contribution," said Ashwani Mahajan, co convenor of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch after a two-day national council meeting of the Manch.
MGNREGA, launched in 2006 by the UPA I government led by then Manmohan Singh has been continued even under Narendra Modi dispensation despite occasional criticism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2015 called the scheme a "living monument of UPA's failures", which he said his government will continue. The Modi government has, however, continued making bigger allocations for the scheme and the BJP has been claiming that it has modified the scheme into a better and more viable one.
In February this year, Rahul Gandhi, addressing a meeting in Kerala recalled how Modi "ridiculed" the scheme as he recounted how the scheme worked as a saviour during Covid. In 2020, he had mocked Modi over increased allocation to the scheme under the hashtag – “ModiUturnOnMNREGA".
“It is a foregone conclusion that increasing health expenses and reduced employment opportunities have further worsened the economic situation of poorer households, increased poverty level and contributed to wealth disparities,” the SJM further said even as it lauded the government relief measures like free rations, cash transfers, PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi payments PMGKY and Atma Nirbhar packages to tide over the crisis.
The resolution passed by the Manch post the meeting also demanded fiscal support to the vulnerable sections of the society in addition to free food grains, extension of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme for a few more months and its scope can be further expanded to other pandemic hit sectors.
The SJM has also demanded specific stimulus to sectors most affected by coronavirus-induced lockdowns like construction, fishing, horticulture in terms of soft loans and to announce a package for employment linked incentives to strengthen the MSME sector. Besides, it asked RBI to clearly announce "need based moratoriums" to suit every sector of the economy and direct the banks for liberal monetary support.