— FUNDS ARE GOING TO STATES ONLY WHERE THERE ARE ELECTIONS, SAYS DR BALBIR SINGH
— ASSERTS FARMERS’ MOVEMENT FORCED CENTRE TO REPEAL LAWS, WARNS OF SIMILAR FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-POOR SCHEMES
CHANDIGARH, December 30:
Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central Government, Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Tuesday termed the ‘Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin)’ (VB-G RAM G) as a deceptive ploy and a second murder of Mahatma Gandhi. He accused the Centre of using “Red Herrings” to mislead the public while systematically dismantling the ethos of guaranteed employment.
While addressing the house during the discussion on an official resolution during the special session of the 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Cabinet Minister painted a picture of blatant hypocrisy. “Their (BJP led Central Government) strategy is “Muh Mei Ram Ram, Bagal Mei Chhurri” (Ram Ram on the lips, but a dagger under the arm). They speak of Garib Kalyan but their policies are a knife in the back of the poor,” he stated, questioning the very name of the scheme. “What does this ‘Ram G’ have to do with Lord Ram? The real ‘Maryada Purushottam’ acted for the welfare of the poor. This scheme does the opposite.”
Elaborating on the “daggers” aimed at the people, Dr Balbir Singh highlighted that the first dagger is this VB G RAM G scheme itself, which is the second murder of Mahatma Gandhi. He detailed how the Centre has moved from a demand-driven to a supply-driven model, where bureaucrats decide fund allocation through an opaque ‘Normative’ system, stripping Gram Sabhas of their rightful power to plan and execute works based on local needs.
The Minister termed second “dagger” to the arbitrary categorisation of villages into A, B, C types, a move apparently aimed at excluding B and C type villages which will leave many in lurch from guaranteed work.
The Cabinet Minister also highlighted the wilful neglect of Punjab, stating, “Punjab has not received material cost for the last 2.5-3 years. How can labour work without material? Where natural disasters like floods occur, work days should be increased from 100 to 150, but Punjab is denied. However, Bihar, where elections were due, was given Rs 1,370 crore this year. Funds are going to states only where there are elections,” he alleged.
Concluding with a firm resolve, Dr Balbir Singh drew a parallel to the historic farmers’ movement. “I sat at the borders for 13 months. The farmers, by forcing the repeal of the agri-laws, have shown the way. The Seeds Bill and the Electricity (Amendment) Bill are links in the same chain designed to impoverish the poor and the farmers further. The time has come to teach a lesson to those playing with the lives of the people. We will force them to withdraw these anti-people policies just like the farm laws were taken back,” he said.
