TG eyes legal fight over MGNREGA

metro india news  I hyderabad :

The Telangana Cabinet Sub Committee examining the Union Government's proposed legislation to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has decided to hold wider consultations with other non BJP ruled States before taking a final call. The State Cabinet is scheduled to discuss the issue on July 2 and decide on the future course of action.

The panel, chaired by Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, resolved to consult the governments of Karnataka and Kerala to explore a common legal and political strategy against the proposed legislation. The committee expressed serious concerns that the proposed law would weaken the constitutional powers of States, undermine cooperative federalism and adversely affect State finances and rural employment programmes.

The meeting was attended by Ministers Danasari Anasuya Seethakka, Thummala Nageswara Rao and G. Vivek Venkataswamy along with senior officials and legal experts. The committee discussed the possibility of challenging the proposed law in the Supreme Court after legal experts identified several constitutional issues in the draft legislation.

Representatives of nearly 20 civil society organisations urged the State Government to enact its own employment guarantee legislation instead of adopting the proposed Central framework. They opposed the proposal to restrict employment to 60 days, demanding a guarantee of at least 200 days of wage employment with statutory minimum wages.

They also raised concerns over the proposed 60:40 Centre State funding pattern and the allocation formula, arguing that it penalises better performing States like Telangana. The Cabinet Sub Committee decided that the State Legal Department would examine all legal aspects before the matter is placed before the State Cabinet for a final decision on July 2.