Rural Development Debate: Opposition Alleges Corruption and Mismanagement in Schemes

In the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the opposition raised the issue of alleged corruption and mismanagement in some schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission and accused the center of discriminatory behavior towards schemes of states ruled by their governments during a discussion on the functioning of the Ministry of Rural Development.

Some opposition members also raised the issue of gas shortage due to the Iran war and said that Parliament should consider this situation.

On the other hand, members of the ruling party praised the aspects of the rural economy that have been transformed during the Modi government's decade-long rule and said that this has empowered the rural people.

Initiating the discussion that began on Tuesday, Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party said that the government beats the drum for various schemes for rural areas, but 'important schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission have become corrupt.

He said that under this scheme, many water tanks and pipeline networks have been destroyed even before their inauguration. Mr. Singh further said that in the village, roads and drains have been dug up to lay water pipes, which has disrupted rural life.

Mr. Singh mentioned the insufficient budget for the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' scheme introduced in place of MGNREGA. He said that while the new scheme guarantees employment for 125 days instead of 100, the budget has been increased by only Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 88,000 crore. He also strongly criticized the imposition of 40 percent financial burden on states due to lack of resources in the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' scheme.

He also raised the issue of shortage of cooking gas due to the Middle East crisis and said that due to this, 21 crore gas connection consumers in rural areas, including Ujjwala Yojana, are not getting gas.

He alleged that the government has withheld Rs 8,000 crore for rural development in Punjab, while the state has not received even 16 paise out of the Rs 1,600 crore aid announced during the last flood.

During his speech, Rural Development Minister Shivaraj Chouhan intervened, saying, "I will answer every question, the opposition member will have to stay in the House to listen to the answer."

The Communist Party of India (CPI) said that rural India is still grappling with challenges. They said that in this budget, more than Rs 2.14 lakh crore has been allocated for rural development, which is not enough. They also termed the budget for the 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' scheme as less than required.

BJP's Rekha Sharma, referring to the Rs 70,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme during the UPA era, said that the previous Congress-led governments had only made false promises in the name of villages and the poor.

She said that the Modi government has empowered people in rural areas through schemes like road networks, infrastructure, animal husbandry, and fisheries. She further said that roads are not just a means of communication, but also a way for women's safe travel, access to health facilities for patients, and employment opportunities.

DMK's Dr. TIRUCHI SIVA also raised the issue of the fuel crisis in the country due to the Iran war. Mr. Siva said that India is not a part of this war, but the fuel supply in the country has been affected. Restaurants are closing down due to non-availability of LPG, and home kitchens are being affected. He demanded a discussion on this sensitive issue in Parliament.

He criticized the changes made in the MGNREGA scheme through 'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan', saying that 40 percent of the financial burden of the scheme, which was fully funded by the Center, has now been imposed on the states.

BSP's Ramji said that no matter how much the government boasts about the statistics, there are still lakhs of villages where there are no good roads, education, and medical facilities. He further said that the settlements of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the village are constantly neglected.

BJP's Anil Sukhdevrao Bonde and the party's Manek Kumar Naik praised the development work done in rural areas during the Modi government's tenure, saying that the money for the schemes is reaching the people directly.

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Praveenka Chaturvedi accused the Center of step-motherly treatment towards Maharashtra. She said that the agriculture sector in the state is still in crisis and cases of farmer suicides are constantly coming to the fore.