Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Thursday urged party leaders and cadres to explain to the people of Telangana the conspiracies being carried out by the BJP government to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, which was inspired by Gandhiji’s vision and provided direction to the nation. The Deputy Chief Minister recalled that Telangana is the first and only state in the country to unanimously pass a resolution in the Assembly opposing the abolition of the new employment guarantee law and sent it to the Centre. 

He mentioned that the Congress party has brought transformative change in the country through landmark legislations and as part of this vision, the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme was introduced to ensure employment security for crores of people across the country. He questioned whether the BJP government has introduced even a single such progressive law that brought meaningful change. Bhatti Vikramarka asserted that the BJP’s sole agenda is to repeal the laws enacted by Congress, and nothing beyond that. 

He pointed out that under the new employment law, employment opportunities are unavailable for 60 days during the agricultural season, forcing the poor to migrate to urban areas. He lamented that In today’s conditions, laborers are compelled to accept whatever wages employers offer. Bhatti Vikramarka further stated that contractors had no role under the earlier law, but amendments now allow contractor involvement. This, he said, is a deliberate conspiracy by the BJP government to hand over laborers to contractors and weaken workers’ rights. 

He alleged that while MGNREGS was originally designed as a fully Centrally funded scheme, the BJP government introduced a new norm requiring 60% funding from the Centre and 40% from States. If States fail to release their 40% share, the Centre withholds its funds as well, he said. He highlighted the discrimination in fiscal allocation, stating that if northern States pay Rs 100 in taxes, they receive Rs 300 in return from the Centre, whereas States like Telangana where Congress is strong receive only Rs Rs 45 for every Rs 100 paid.