Chandigarh, Dec 31 (PTI) With Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann opposing the scrapping of MGNREGA, the BJP on Wednesday alleged that he had failed to provide the statutory 100 days of employment under the rural employment scheme to lakhs of poor people in the state over the past nearly four years.
Addressing a press conference here, Ashwani Sharma, Working President of the BJP’s Punjab unit, alleged that corruption under MGNREGA was widespread and accused AAP leaders and MLAs of being involved in it. He questioned why “no action had been taken in more than 10,600 corruption cases” reportedly detected by the Special Audit Unit.
He said the Mann government had deprived workers, Dalit families and people from weaker sections of their rightful livelihood, thereby hurting their dignity and self-respect.
Sharma claimed that the chief minister was deliberately not taking action against those involved in corruption and was shielding leaders of his own party.
He said that when the “central government releases funds for providing 100 days of employment to workers in Punjab, the state government fails to ensure full employment on the ground”.
He questioned why workers were denied their guaranteed work under the scheme.
The BJP leader also alleged that mandatory social audits under MGNREGA were not conducted in 6,095 gram panchayats in 2024-25 and 7,389 gram panchayats in 2025-26.
Sharma said workers’ organisations have repeatedly accused AAP MLAs, MPs and local leaders of corruption, but the continued inaction of the government ensured that the poor were robbed of their livelihood through corruption in MGNREGA. PTI VSD RT RT
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