By Special Correspondent
Rewa: Former minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Kamleshwar Patel on Friday strongly criticised the BJP-led Union and Madhya Pradesh governments over changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and alleged administrative negligence behind the contaminated water tragedy in Indore.
Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House here, Patel said the BJP government’s policies and functioning must be exposed before the country. He alleged that MNREGA, which provided a legal guarantee of employment to millions of poor and working families in rural India, had been altered without wide debate, consultation with states or adherence to democratic processes.
Patel said MNREGA was not merely a welfare scheme but a legal right enacted by the Congress after a transparent and consultative process. He accused the BJP of systematically weakening the Act through budget cuts, withholding of funds and administrative hurdles, and now converting it into a centrally controlled scheme. According to him, the new framework removes the legal right to employment, undermines panchayats, shifts financial burdens to states and disproportionately harms poor labourers, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women.
Expressing concern over Madhya Pradesh, Patel said that despite lakhs of registered workers, less than one per cent receive 100 days of employment, reflecting the government’s intent.
Raising the Indore incident, where over 20 people reportedly died after consuming contaminated water, Patel termed it a result of administrative apathy and political arrogance. He alleged that complaints had been ignored for two years and questioned the absence of accountability despite BJP representatives holding all key posts.
Patel said the Congress would continue its democratic struggle to ensure accountability and protect the rights and lives of the poor.
