Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], December 30 : Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said the state government will soon convene a special session of the Assembly to protest against the Centre's decision to scrap the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), asserting that the BJP-led government has "abolished the legal guarantee".
Cheema accused the ruling government of shifting the financial burden onto states. He said workers across the country have written to the Punjab government, expressing concern about the new provisions in the VB-G-RAM-G Act.
Speaking to ANI, the state finance minister said, "We will bring the budget session and the regular session very soon, but we have called this session to protest against the Centre's decision to end the MGNREGA scheme. Workers from across the country are sending us letters asking us to forward them to the Prime Minister, saying they were employed under MGNREGA, but this scheme (VB-G-RAM-G bill) will deprive workers in Punjab of their rights. The BJP has abolished the legal guarantee that was in place, and this has also put a financial burden on the states, which is why we are protesting against this scheme."
Meanwhile, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh criticised the Punjab Assembly for holding a one-day session to pass a resolution against the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, calling it "unconstitutional, politically motivated, and an attack on India's federal structure.
According to a press release, Chugh said that the special session convened by the Mann Government against the VB-G RAM G Act is unconstitutional, politically motivated, and an attack on India's federal structure. He said the Constitution clearly defines that subjects like employment guarantees, national rural livelihood frameworks, and centrally funded welfare laws fall under the legislative powers of the Union Parliament, not a State Assembly.
"What the Mann government has done today is a reckless breach of constitutional discipline," Chugh said. He added that it is shocking that a law passed by both Houses of Parliament after over 23 hours of debate and participation from more than 130 MPs is being challenged through a symbolic session merely for headlines.
The BJP leader said that this special session is nothing but a PR exercise to hide the reality of Punjab's current state: worsening law and order, rampant corruption across departments, and complete administrative paralysis. He stated that criminals roam free, drug cartels operate with impunity, and the AAP government has failed on every front.