No need for special session, go to Delhi and corner the central government, CM Mann and AAP government, we are together: Pargat Singh

Pargat said in the special session – Punjab government has given 26 days of employment under MNREGA, the daily wage is also less than Haryana.

• Punjab government should not diminish the spirit of martyrdom of four Sahibzadas, should improve the system

Chandigarh: Former Education Minister and MLA Pargat Singh slammed the Punjab government over the special session called on MNREGA. He said that merely submitting a condemnation motion is not enough. The Aam Aadmi Party government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann need to go to Delhi and corner the Central Government. So that damage to Punjab can be prevented. He also demanded the AAP government to call a regular session instead of a special session.

Pargat Singh said that the MNREGA scheme which provides livelihood to 12 crore laborers is the contribution of Congress. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh wanted to provide its benefits to all sections of the poor. Earlier this scheme was completely sponsored by the Central Government. Now the BJP government at the Center has changed the name of this scheme and divided it into 60-40 shares. State governments are not able to contribute 40 percent from their own funds to run this scheme. This will put an additional burden of Rs 30 to 50 thousand crore on the state governments.

Already some state governments are able to achieve this 100 day guarantee scheme only for 70 days. Whereas in Punjab, the AAP government has been able to provide 38 days of employment in four years and 26 days till December this year under MNREGA.

He said that during Covid, 7 crore people went from cities to villages and never returned. Due to which the corporate houses stopped getting labour. Now the central government is bent on abolishing MNREGA just to please the corporate sector. So that corporate houses can get cheap labourers. Not only this, MNREGA is also paying less wages to the workers in Punjab. Under MNREGA, we are paying Rs 346 per day to the laborers, whereas in Haryana the same wage is Rs 400. Punjab government should look into this.

Padmashree Pargat Singh said that the AAP government is stopping calling regular sessions. It is wrong to call a one day session only in the name of special session. Earlier the government used to say that you will be given free time to speak, later the speaker does not do anything like this. Give time to call one or two people on behalf of the party.

He said that even in the Anandpur Sahib Assembly session, I had said that the Central Government is going to bring 5 bills in the Parliament. In which Education Bill is also coming and Higher Education Bill is also coming. But the AAP government did not protest. Even in the matter of BBMB, the attitude of the AAP government was lax. The work is not done just by passing resolutions and taking photographs. We should have pursued legal action in this matter.

Pargat Singh told CM Mann that there is a need to go to Delhi in this matter and present his views and protest. CM Mann should take all the MLAs to Delhi, all political parties will stand with him. The government should not cause harm to Punjab. We should not let the spirit of martyrdom of four Sahibzadas end. You should work for the interests of Punjab and not become the B team of BJP. BJP feels that before 2014 there was no country. He himself has made this.

He said that AAP has divided the society into all castes. Our leaders are also responsible for what our society is facing. Instead of just patting ourselves on the back, there is a need to learn from the past and manage the society in the present times. Time is short, the system must be run on the right track. After our Gurus, it was our Maharaj Ranjit Singh who took care of the spirit of Punjab, which is slowly dying. Punjab, which extends from Khabar Pass to Lahaul Spiti, has today become a small state.

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